The most chaotic eligibility saga in college basketball, perhaps ever, just gained real clarity: former St. John’s star guard RJ Luis will not be cleared for competition by the SEC. Sources confirmed Tuesday that the SEC will not budge, forcing LSU coach Will Wade to finally give up his months-long fight to get Luis on the court.
The SEC’s Hammer Drops on Luis
This isn’t just any player missing time; Luis was the 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year. He hasn’t played college basketball since March of 2025. The core issue? Luis declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft, signed a professional contract, then went undrafted and never played an NBA game. That move put him squarely in violation of an SEC rule ratified this past summer, which explicitly prevents players from returning to college after failing to appropriately withdraw from their draft process *and* subsequently signing a pro contract.
Coach Wade publicly acknowledged the situation, stating on an October 13 media Zoom call, “We’re going to follow all the SEC protocols with him. I think it’s been pretty clear what the SEC protocols are on all that. He didn’t travel with us to McNeese and he hasn’t been rostered.” While Wade had been privately confident Luis would find a way to play via court orders, the SEC’s rule had far firmer legal grounding than the NCAA’s. The league showed it wouldn’t budge, especially after winning out against LSU in a similar matter involving two football players Lane Kiffin tried to roster just a couple of months ago. The university and the SEC remain entangled in a federal legal case, sparked in no small part by LSU’s attempts to ease the pathway for professionals to return to college.
Good News Arrives For The Tigers
Despite the huge blow of losing Luis, there’s some good news for Wade’s program. 2025 NBA Draft pick Salou Niang has officially been cleared to play for LSU, and Brice Dessert will also be on the roster. Niang, a 22-year-old Senegalese-Italian forward, was taken 58th by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025 but never played for the franchise. The NCAA cleared Niang even though a new policy instituted earlier this year would have made him ineligible, because his commitment to LSU pre-dated that new rule. Niang’s situation is different from Luis because he was never enrolled in college to begin with.
So, while LSU loses a star Big East Player of the Year in Luis, they gain an NBA Draft pick in Niang, who brings talent and experience. LSU still has to navigate the season with a huge hole where Luis was expected to be, but Niang’s clearance is a positive step. It’ll be interesting to see how Niang integrates into the squad and what impact he and Dessert have as the Tigers kick off their season without Luis.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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