RJ Luis Jr. Off LSU Roster Amid Eligibility Fight — SkimNews
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- RJ Luis Jr., the 2025 Big East player of the year who signed NBA contracts with the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics, is not on LSU's 2026-27 roster despite winning a Louisiana preliminary injunction, with coach Will Wade saying the program will follow SEC protocols over the court order.
- Wade told reporters LSU's official roster climbed from 4 to 10 players ahead of SEC media day but still includes multiple walk-ons; the Tigers were picked to finish 14th of 16 teams in the SEC preseason poll released Monday.
- Former UCLA standouts Donovan Dent and Skyy Clark secured fifth-year clearance through a California court case — Dent is rostered while Clark is not — as the NCAA continues fighting to reverse similar rulings.
- International LSU commits Saliou Niang (58th pick, 2025 NBA draft) and Brice Dessert (undrafted 2025) face a new SEC rule barring players who entered the NBA draft "without properly withdrawing," though neither played in an NBA game.
- Colorado federal judges appeared to side with the NCAA in Tuesday oral arguments on blanket fifth-year eligibility, a setback that could force similar cases — including LSU's — to win in state courts to survive.
- Wade vented at national reporter Pat Forde on the video call, accusing him of "gotcha" questions about Marcio Santos (who returned to Europe in September) after using seven players in a 63-60 exhibition win over McNeese.
Why it matters: Wade's entire offseason overhaul depends on eligibility rulings that are slipping — the NCAA's federal-court momentum plus a new SEC rule on former draftees mean LSU's thin, walk-on-heavy roster (just 10 listed before media day) may not improve before the Nov. 3 opener against LSU New Orleans, and the program has signaled it will follow SEC protocols over Luis's state-court victory.
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