A Louisiana judge granted RJ Luis an injection on Monday that makes the former Big East Player of the Year eligible to compete this season.
Luis, who is a member of the 2022 high school class, played a season for UMASS before transferring to St. John’s. He logged two seasons with the Red Storm before declaring for the NBA Draft and going undrafted in 2025.
He signed a two-way deal with the Utah Jazz but did not compete in NBA Summer League due to an injury. After being traded to Boston, Luis played in the preseason but never played in a regular season or G-League game.
The injunction allows Luis to join the team and prepare for the 2026-27 season.
In the moments following the decision, the Southeastern Conference issued a statement.
“After a Monday evening video conference of the presidents and chancellors of the Southeastern Conference, the conference is issuing the following statement.
College athletes, not former professional athletes, have been at the heart of the Southeastern Conference. Individuals who choose to leave college athletics, sign professional playing contracts, and compete professionally should not then be permitted to return to college competition.
Allowing that to occur will blur the line between college and professional sports, create significant compeitive equity concerns, and reduce opportunities for high school and current college athletes.
College sports are for college athletes. The current confusion around national eligibility standards emphasizes the need to advance the Protect College Sports Act.”
Luis immediately adds a prolific scoring touch to LSU’s backcourt. He averaged 18.2 points per game for St. John’s in 2024-25.
