Report: LSU Basketball Gets Bad News On RJ Luis, Good News On Two Others

LSU basketball received several major eligibility updates on Tuesday, including news that former St. John's guard RJ Luis will not be allowed to play for the Tigers this season.

According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, the SEC will not clear Luis to compete, and LSU has given up its fight to get him eligible for the 2026-27 season.

Luis, the 2024-25 Big East Player of the Year, signed a professional contract after entering the 2025 NBA Draft, violating the SEC rule that bars former professionals from returning to college.

Norlander reported that head coach Will Wade had been privately confident for months that Luis would eventually be cleared, but the SEC would not budge. Wade has since accepted that Luis will not play for LSU this season.

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While the Luis news is a setback, Norlander also reported two positive developments for Wade's roster.

Saliou Niang has officially been cleared by the NCAA to play this season. The 22-year-old forward was selected 58th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2025 NBA Draft but never played for the franchise.

Unlike Luis, Niang never enrolled in college, and he decided to attend LSU before the NCAA implemented its new eligibility policy. The SEC will honor the NCAA's ruling.

Additionally, LSU's 7-foot French center Brice Dessert is expected to receive official clearance soon.

"There's no independent SEC basis to deny him. He doesn't run afoul of any SEC rules," a source told CBS Sports.

The updates provide some much-needed clarity for Wade and the Tigers as they prepare for the upcoming season.

LSU will face Florida State in its final exhibition game Saturday before opening the regular season against New Orleans on November 3.

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