RJ Luis Jr. cleared by judge to play for LSU despite signing NBA deals
RJ Luis Jr.is cleared for college ball.
A Louisiana judge granted the 2024-2025 Big East Player of the Year a temporary injuction to play for LSU on Monday, despite signing several NBA contracts.Following the ruling by East Baton Rouge Parish District Court Judge Ronald R.
Johnson, Luis hugged LSU coach Will Wade.After securing second-team All-American honors in his junior season for St.John’s, Luis went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft but latched on with teams and was even included in a trade.He never played in a regular-season NBA game, though, and sought a return to college, committing to the Tigers in May although he was not yet eligible to play.Luis’ ruling could start a new wave of eligibility challenges for the NCAA.
The college sports governing body has been fighting those in the 2022 class who are chasing a fifth year of eligibility after they were excluded from the new age-based eligibility rules giving every athlete five seasons to compete.The ruling was meant to eliminate the need for redshirts and waivers.Luis is not a fifth-year player, and he could open the door for others who have signed professional contracts and want to come back to college.
In the five-hour hearing, Luis’ attorneys pointed to the NCAA granting exceptions in the past, allowing players from overseas professional leagues to join college basketball in the U.S.They argued that American players deserve the same chance.After going undrafted, Luis, 23, signed a two-way contract with the Jazz followed by an Exhibit 10 contract with the Celtics’ G League affiliate after he was traded from Utah to Boston.He was later waived after only seeing preseason action.His attorneys stressed Luis’ lack of NBA experience — he never played in a regular-season NBA game and also did not see time for the Celtics’ G League team due to an injury.“I hear that every time we do one of these eligibility cases: ‘This is going to be the end of the NCAA.’ That is not true,” Elliot Sol Abra...