A Louisiana judge granted former St. John’s basketball standout RJ Luis Jr. a temporary injunction Monday evening, removing the final barrier to his participation with LSU during the 2026-27 season. The decision comes after months of legal uncertainty surrounding Luis’s eligibility to return to college competition.
Luis’s path back to college basketball has been unconventional. After going undrafted in 2025, he signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Georges Niang and draft picks. He was subsequently waived by Boston and signed with their G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, but missed the entire season due to injury. Luis’s legal team argued he had no regular season professional experience and possessed significantly less professional background than international players who transfer to American colleges. The NCAA countered that Luis made a deliberate choice to leave college for professional basketball, distinguishing him from foreign-based signings.
SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey filed an official statement opposing Luis’s return, contending that athletes with professional contracts should be barred from competing in college sports. However, the court decision now permits Luis to join LSU under head coach Will Wade. Luis distinguished himself at St. John’s, earning Big East Player of the Year honors after a breakout junior campaign featuring 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, helping the Red Storm capture their first Big East tournament title since 2000.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
About the Author
