With the 2026-27 college basketball season less than a month away, several teams have yet to finalize their roster due to players being in eligibility limbo. Whether it's because they're seeking a fifth year or if they're coming over from the international ranks, it seems like almost every team is trying to figure it out on the fly. After having just four players listed on the team roster for several weeks, LSU added six more players — including former UCLA star Donovan Dent — shortly after the first scrimmage of the season against McNeese.
One notable omission on the team's roster is former St. John's star RJ Luis Jr., who committed to LSU earlier this offseason. Luis, who declared for the 2025 NBA Draft and went undrafted, was seeking a return to college basketball after not appearing in any regular-season NBA or G League games last season.
Although Wade didn't attend SEC Media Days on Tuesday due to what the SEC called "inclement weather." he spoke to reporters via Zoom and provided an update on the status of Luis and hinted that the former Big East Player of the Year won't be on LSU's roster this season. "We're going to follow all the SEC protocols with him," Wade said Tuesday during SEC Media Days. "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." The protocols Wade is referencing are new SEC rules that prevent players like Luis, who have previously declared for the draft or signed a professional contract, from returning to college. Luis didn't appear in a regular-season game, but did play in three preseason NBA games with the Boston Celtics after being traded from the Utah Jazz. The SEC's penalty structure for playing former professional athletes, which was approved in August, includes a ban on the head coach for 50% of the season and a financial penalty equal to 50% of the sport's operation budget.
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. Luis is currently eligible after a Baton Rouge judge granted him a preliminary injunction that would clear the way for him to play this season. However, if what transpired on the football front in the courts — specifically with Dae'Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris trying to join LSU's football roster earlier this year — is any indication of what could happen on the basketball side, Luis' case to play this season may be shaky at best.
LSU has two scrimmages remaining against UCF (on Wednesday) and Florida State (Oct. 24) before it opens the 2026-27 campaign at home against New Orleans on Nov. 3. All signs point to Luis not suiting up for any of those games.
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