Thanks to Lane Kiffin, LSU is currently at the epicenter of college athletics. Most of the spotlight stems from the Tigers attempt to add Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris to its football roster after being cut by the the Cleveland Browns and New Orleans Saints, respectively, during the NFL's preseason. The legal fight has gotten so intense recently that the SEC filed a federal court motion threatening to boot LSU from the conference.
After the headache the last few weeks has caused by trying to get Wright and Harris eligible, it became moot after LSU added two players other than Wright and Harris on Tuesday to its 105-player roster, which is finalized for the rest of the season. The question LSU has to answer is: was that headache even worth it if those players didn't suit up? That remains to be seen, but while the fight between LSU's football program and the courts is far from over, the basketball program still has some unfinished business for the 2026-27 season.
The Tigers currently have four active players on their official roster with less than two months until the season gets underway. LSU has several players, such as Skyy Clark and Donovan Dent, fighting for a fifth year of eligibility in court, but the most polarizing of the group of players attempting to play for LSU this season is former Big East Player of the Year RJ Luis Jr. John's star passed up a chance to return to college last offseason and instead stayed in the NBA Draft, despite being projected to go late in the second round.
Luis wasn't drafted, but signed a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz before being traded to the Boston Celtics before the season started. Luis appeared in three preseason NBA games with Boston but did not play in a regular-season game in the NBA or G League due to an injury. For now, Luis is eligible after a Baton Rouge judge granted him a preliminary injunction last month that would clear the way for him to play this season.
However, if what has transpired on the football front in the courts is any indication of how the next few weeks could play out on the basketball side, this fight is far from over. After all, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has been outspoken about Luis' case and filed an affidavit asking the court to uphold NCAA rules that prevent athletes from returning to the college level. The SEC also drafted new rules last month that prevent players, like Luis, who previously declared for the draft or signed a professional contract from returning to college.
Those new rules alone will complicate Luis' path to play despite the injunction and could set up more court drama in the weeks to come. It begs the question: Will LSU bend the knee and fight for Luis to play? Or will LSU fold its cards and avoid the headache that the football program just went through?
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