RJ Luis signs with LSU

LSU added one of the biggest names left on the transfer market on May 19, when RJ Luis signed with the Tigers and set up a return bid to college basketball. Luis left St. John’s after the 2024-25 season, went undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft and later signed a two-way contract with the Utah Jazz on July 7, 2025, according to the team. Yahoo Sports reported Tuesday that Luis had signed with LSU after his NBA and G League stint. (sports.yahoo.com) Luis, a 6-foot-6 wing, arrives with a résumé that includes the 2025 Big East Player of the Year award and a breakout junior season at St. (msn.com) John’s. His move has also prompted immediate questions about whether he is allowed to play for LSU next season after beginning a professional career. ### How did RJ Luis get here? St. John’s was where Luis made his biggest jump. In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 18.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in 35 games, according to reporting that cited his college statistics, and he was named the Big East Player of the Year. (sports.yahoo.com) July 7, 2025, was the date the Utah Jazz announced Luis had signed a two-way contract. Utah’s release did not disclose terms, following standard team policy. ### What exactly did LSU add? (sports.yahoo.com) LSU landed a proven high-major scorer with size on the wing. Yahoo Sports, citing On3’s Joe Tipton, reported that Luis signed with the Tigers out of the transfer portal. The 18.2-point average is the number that explains the move. Luis was one of the most productive returning names tied to the portal, and his 7.2 rebounds per game added value beyond scoring. (sports.yahoo.com) ### Why is his eligibility being questioned? Fox Sports and other outlets said Luis’s return raises an NCAA eligibility issue because he had already forgone his final college season to enter the 2025 NBA Draft and later signed an NBA contract. (nba.com) Fox described “major eligibility questions” around whether he can play after time in the NBA and G League. (sports.yahoo.com) USA Today, in a separate report published May 19, said Luis is ineligible after signing an NBA contract and framed former Alabama big man Charles Bediako’s case as a reference point for what could come next. (sports.yahoo.com) That remains outside reporting, and no NCAA ruling was cited in the available primary materials reviewed here. ### Did Luis actually play in the NBA? The Utah Jazz announcement confirms Luis signed a two-way deal, but it does not say he appeared in an NBA regular-season game. Other reports said he spent time in the NBA and G League system after going undrafted. (msn.com) MassLive reported Wednesday that Luis had been traded to the Boston Celtics organization last summer before seeking a college return. That detail helps explain why several stories describe him as coming back after professional experience rather than directly from the draft process. (usatoday.com) ### What happens next for LSU? The 2026-27 season is the next milestone, but Luis’s status for it is not yet settled in the reporting now available. LSU has the player on board; the unresolved question is whether the NCAA will allow him to take the floor. (sports.yahoo.com) May 19 is the date LSU’s move became public, and the next concrete development will be any eligibility determination involving Luis, LSU and the NCAA before the Tigers finalize their roster for next season. (sports.yahoo.com) (masslive.com)