A Louisiana court has granted RJ Luis a preliminary injunction that clears the way for the former Big East Player of the Year to suit up for the LSU Tigers in the upcoming 2026‑27 season, restoring a career that had seemed to stall after a brief and injury‑marred stint in the NBA.
A Legal Victory Clears the Path
Luis spent a single season at St. John’s under the guidance of Rick Pitino, where he earned second‑team All‑American honors and was crowned Big East Player of the Year in 2025. He finished that campaign averaging 18.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game, numbers that placed him among the most talked‑about prospects in the country.
Although he went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft, Luis signed a two‑way contract with the Utah Jazz before moving to the Boston Celtics, where he appeared in three preseason games, scoring six points in seven minutes before an injury forced his release.
LSU’s coaching staff now welcomes Luis into a roster that already includes former UCLA guard Donovan Dent, adding a blend of scoring punch and rebounding grit to a frontcourt that hopes to deepen its depth ahead of the new season.
The ruling not only restores Luis’s eligibility but also highlights the growing intersection of legal advocacy and college athletics, a development that could influence how similar eligibility battles are approached across the NCAA landscape.