A Louisiana judge has granted RJ Luis a preliminary injunction preventing LSU from refusing to roster the former St. John’s guard who left college basketball two years ago.
Luis’ attorney, Tony Clayton, discussed the ruling on After Further Review with Matt Moscona, saying the judge ordered LSU to roster Luis immediately.
“As a matter of fact, is (the judge’s) verbal ruling he said that Will Wade is to roster RJ Luis effective immediately,” said Luis’ attorney, Tony Clayton. “And he kind of doubled down on Sankey and the SEC. I’m using my words double daring, he didn’t use that phrase, but he double dared Sankey to do anything to LSU to put a chilling effect on Will Wade or anyone else if he were not to roster the kid.”
Wade said in a press conference in November that LSU “couldn’t roster anyone even if we wanted to.” LSU currently lists the official roster at 14. The NCAA limit for men’s basketball is 15.
Clayton said that LSU “has always been in good faith.” He also suggested that Luis was going to attempt to catch a flight to Spokane, but all flights have been grounded by the FAA.
Luis has now been granted a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction. A permanent injunction likely could not be adjudicated before the end of the college basketball season in March.
Clayton believes LSU is obligated to roster Luis immediately. Failing to do so would be illegal, according to Clayton.
“I think LSU would be acting outside the order of the law,” Clayton said. “So, the judge was clear. It’s the law. It was a court order.”
There is a distinction between rostering a player and putting him on the floor. The SEC’s October rule change threatened punishment under Bylaw 4.4.3, which prohibits member schools from rostering any athlete who has declared for, signed with, or appeared on a roster for the NFL, professional football leagues, NBA/G League, or WNBA without appropriate withdrawal.
“(The judge) made it clear, he said ‘I can’t tell LSU to play him,'” Clayton said. “The NCAA and SEC have acted arbitrarily and capricious as it relates to RJ, and therefore I’m prohibiting them from doing that.”
