Arguably the most controversial basketball eligibility saga of 2026 has been settled. Former St. John's star guard RJ Luis will not be cleared for competition by the SEC, sources told CBS Sports on Tuesday, and as a result, LSU coach Will Wade has given up his months-long fight on Luis' behalf.
Luis, the 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, has not played in college since March of 2025. He declared early for the 2025 NBA Draft and signed a professional contract, though he never played in an NBA game after going undrafted. Luis would have been in violation of the SEC's rule — ratified this past summer — that prevents players returning to college after failing to appropriately withdraw from the NFL, NBA or WNBA Draft process (in addition to subsequently signing a pro contract).
LSU is yet to publicly acknowledge the split with Luis, but according to sources, Tigers coach Will Wade has recently come to accept the reality that Luis would not be allowed to compete for LSU this season.
"We're going to follow all the SEC protocols with him," Wade said on a media Zoom call Oct. 13. "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."
Though he indicated Luis wasn't in line to play, Wade conspicuously stopped short of saying Luis' matter was decided. In the ensuing days, that reality reached finality. For months, Wade had been privately confident that Luis would eventually find his way to play via court orders. The SEC's rule had much firmer legal grounding than the NCAA's, and the league was not going to budge — especially after winning out against LSU in a similar matter involving two football players who Lane Kiffin tried to roster in late August/early September.
LSU and the SEC remain entangled in a federal legal case that was sparked in no small part by the university trying to ease the pathway for professionals to return to college.
Luis an expected loss, but good roster news on the way
Despite the loss of Luis, Wade's program received some good news on Tuesday: 2025 NBA Draft pick Salou Niang has been cleared to play for LSU, sources told CBS Sports. The NCAA cleared Niang, a 22-year-old Senegalese-Italian forward who was taken 58th by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2025 but never played for the franchise. Niang's situation differs from Luis because Niang was never enrolled in college.
The NCAA instituted a new policy earlier this year that would make Niang ineligible, but Niang's commitment to LSU pre-dated the NCAA's rule. Pre- and post-enrollment is a key distinction on these matters.
"The NCAA tried to close this loophole in the spring, but the NCAA itself decided it was not fair to apply the rule retroactively," one source said.
The NCAA did not want to retroactively prohibit Niang, similar to how it ruled Ousmane N'Diaye eligible at Kentucky (N'Diaye, also an overseas prospect, was eligible but did not get drafted in 2025).
Niang is a legit talent and someone who could prove to be an All-SEC player. He won't be the only foreign-born player officially joining the roster in Baton Rouge. French center Brice Dessert, a 23-year-old 7-footer, will soon be officially cleared to play for Will Wade's program as well, per sources.
"There's no independent SEC basis to deny him," one source said. "He doesn't run afoul of any SEC rules."
The league landed in the same place with Dessert's case as Niang's. If the NCAA is going to clear the players, the SEC will be in agreement with those rulings almost every time.
"LSU is not expected to satisfy a higher bar than any other school," one source with knowledge of the cases said. Salou and Dessert never signed paperwork that met the definition of a contract at the NBA level. Since they've never been registered in college until now, there was a pathway (even despite their ages) to get them on the floor.
The next fights for LSU will be in the courtroom. Starting point guard Donovan Dent is eligible for now. Skyy Clark, who would also be a starting-level player alongside Dent, remains in a fight for his eligibility in a separate case. Like dozens of other D-I players, both are suing to get a fifth year. If they get that year, combined with Niang and Dessert, LSU has a roster that could easily be good enough to make the NCAA Tournament.
LSU's next/last exhibition is Saturday at Florida State. The Tigers open the season Nov. 3 at home against LSU New Orleans. Their first high-major matchup comes Nov. 14 against Gonzaga in Spokane, Washington.
