LSU latest basketball program to tap into G League ranks, signing former pro guard RJ Luis Jr
Randy Levine details the ‘wild west’ of college sports amid NIL chaos
New York Yankees President and ‘Saving College Sports’ Executive Vice President Randy Levine joins Brian Kilmeade to break down the ‘Wild West’ of college sports. Levine points to increasing issues affecting student-athletes, such as name, image and likeness (NIL) agreements, the chaotic transfer portal and athlete eligibility. It details the financial distress at universities and President Trump’s efforts to find legislative solutions in hopes of finding a bipartisan solution within 90 days.
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The NCAA has been in a bit of a mixed bag lately.
Between players brought up by sports betting scandals and men in their mid-20s eschewing both the professional ranks and the workforce to stay in college, Van Wilder-style, it’s hard not to be pessimistic about the current state of college sports.
Brendan Sorsby of the Cincinnati Bearcats laughs during warm-ups before the game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City, Utah, on November 1, 2025. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
Speaking of which, the LSU Tigers and head coach Will Wade signed G League guard RJ Luis Jr. earlier Tuesday. We saw yet another case of a college basketball team entering the professional ranks to recruit players.
Luis comes to the Tigers via the Boston Celtics’ G League affiliate, the Maine Celtics, and previously played in St. Louis, where he won Big East Player of the Year honors a season ago. He was drafted out of St. John’s.
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To give LSU some benefit of the doubt here, the Tigers didn’t sign Luis midseason, fresh off their G League roster, in order to shore up a tournament run, so it’s not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison in the infamous comparison. Charles Bediako debacle It took place in Tuscaloosa earlier this year.
Alabama Crimson Tide’s Charles Bediako reacts during the second half of the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament held at KFC YUM! Center against the San Diego State Aztecs on March 24, 2023 in Louisville, Ky. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
However, he has signed a contract with a professional team and is currently ineligible to play for the Tigers next season, so he will have to file to continue his college career.
While this wasn’t as bad as the aforementioned situation with Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide, Luis’ signing by LSU left many people wondering where the line would be drawn in college basketball.
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It really feels like the Wild West in college athletics right now, and basketball seems to be the tip of the spear when it comes to bending the rules.
It’s hard to say whether Luis will be eligible, but if he gets the green flag, the doors will open for college basketball programs across the country to try to sign as many undrafted free agents and G League players as possible.
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John’s guard RJ Luis Jr. and guard Kadary Richmond sit on the bench during the second half of a second-round NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas on March 22, 2025 at Amica Mutual Pavilion. (Brian Fluharty/Imagn Images)
If you’re a big fan of college sports and worried about sports falling down a slippery slope, I’d throw those fears out the window because it looks like we’re already at the bottom of Mount Everest.
Time will tell if we can climb to the top again, but I won’t give up hope anytime soon.
