LSU basketball's recruitment of pros cited in new SEC court filing

LSU football isn’t the only program under scrutiny in the SEC‘s ongoing federal lawsuit against the university.

LSU’s men’s basketball, now under coach Will Wade, was also cited in the SEC’s latest court filing, submitted Tuesday, Oct. 13, in opposition to LSU’s motion to dismiss the conference’s lawsuit.

The conference argues that LSU’s basketball recruiting practices represent further evidence of what it characterizes as the university’s ongoing defiance of SEC professionalism rules and failure to maintain institutional control.

In court documents, the SEC said it was “notable” that LSU “never” says in its brief that the university is “committed to following the Professionalism Rules, maintaining institutional control, or not interfering with the SEC’s First Amendment right of expressive association going forward.”

The filing goes on to say that if LSU were to argue it was committed to doing any of the above, it would “ring hollow anyway” because the university continues to “flout” − or intentionally and openly disobey − SEC rules and principles. The SEC’s response points out Wade’s recruitment of former NBA player RJ Luis Jr.

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Luis, who spent the previous two seasons at St. John’s before signing professional contracts, is alleged by the SEC to have been practicing with LSU’s basketball team, The SEC states that LSU allowed Luis to practice with the team but has “refused to publicly and definitively state that he will not be included” on the roster.

Wade said during a video interview for SEC Tipoff Media Days on Tuesday, Oct. 13 – which he and the team were originally set to attend in person – that Luis “hasn’t been rostered” and didn’t travel with LSU for its exhibition against McNeese.

“We’re going to follow all the SEC protocols with him,” Wade said. “I think it’s been pretty clear what the SEC protocols all are on that.”

New SEC filing mentions LSU recruitment of international players

The SEC’s filing also pointed to LSU’s recruitment of “international professional basketball players” whose “eligibility remains in question.”

Wade has taken an unconventional approach to rebuilding LSU’s roster in his return to Baton Rouge, pursuing players with professional experience while navigating questions about their eligibility under conference and NCAA rules. As of Tuesday, LSU’s online roster features 10 players, but whether more players will be available depends on whether they are ruled eligible.

The SEC’s filing also references Wade’s public comments about that strategy. Wade was quoted in an ESPN article published on Sept. 23 saying:

“We’re going to be unapologetic about it. This is who we are. This is what we’re doing. This is the path that we charted. We’re going to go down it, and that’s fine,” he said.

The SEC’s lawsuit was initially sparked by LSU football’s pursuit of former professional players Dae’Quan Wright and Zxavian Harris. Neither ultimately appeared on LSU’s football roster.

New SEC filing describes LSU as being ‘caught’ with ‘hand in the cookie jar’

In the conference’s response to LSU, the SEC said that the school’s argument that the case has been “mooted” by “deciding, at last” not to roster Wright and Harris is like “saying that someone caught his hand in the cookie jar has cured the problem by pulling it out.” The SEC contends that parties at LSU “still have their hands in the jar.”

The conference argues that the issues extend beyond the two football players, now citing Wade’s basketball program as another reason the underlying dispute has not been resolved and why the lawsuit should not be dismissed.

“LSU’s men’s basketball program continues to defy the Professionalism Rules and its head coach promises to be’unapologetic about it,’” the filing states.

An LSU representative gave no comment to The Daily Advertiser when asked about the SEC’s opposition to throwing out the lawsuit.

U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon has not yet ruled on LSU’s motion to dismiss the case. Per a court order by Judge Axon on Sept. 28, LSU’s defense has until Oct. 20 to respond.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at [email protected]. Cory Diaz covers LSU athletics for The Daily Advertiser and contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU basketball’s recruitment of pros cited in new SEC court filing