RJ Luis ruled ineligible at LSU, but Saliou Niang and Brice Dessert will both be on Tigers' roster

The most chaotic eligibility saga of college basketball this offseason — and perhaps ever — is gaining real clarity with November around the corner 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