Potential No. 1 Overall Pick James Wiseman's Eligibility in Question in Court Battle With NCAA
By Mark Powell
UPDATE:
Per a Memphis court, the James Wiseman ruling has been put on hold and further legal proceedings will take place. This means Wiseman can play Friday night vs UIC.
Wow. Memphis is something else. COI, if it gets to that stage, is not going to let them hide behind the court order. https://t.co/57XUMmvxYc
— Bryan Fischer (@BryanDFischer) November 8, 2019
James Wiseman is 7-1 behemoth and a definite lottery pick in the 2020 NBA Draft when the time comes for Adam Silver to call his name. However, prior to ever reaching that milestone, Wiseman has hit a critical roadblock.
It's been a banner day for the NCAA, which this morning influenced Ohio State to hold out star edge rusher Chase Young for taking a loan from a family friend. In their latest actual ruling, they've declared Wiseman ineligible, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The NCAA has ruled Memphis F/C James Wiseman -- the possible No. 1 overall pick in 2020 NBA Draft -- ineligible, his lawyers said in Memphis.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 8, 2019
Wiseman committed to Memphis and first-year head coach Penny Hardaway, helping the Tigers secure one the top recruiting classes for the 2019-20 campaign. In his debut, Wiseman scored 28 points and dropped a casual and cool double-double. Now, Memphis fans will have to wait for Wiseman's next action on the hardwood.
Breaking news: High profile Memphis attorney Leslie Ballin says the NCAA has ruled James Wiseman ineligible to play. He says Penny Hardaway helped finance Wiseman and his family’s move to Memphis back in high school. The NCAA has deemed Penny a booster.
— Sudu Upadhyay (@SuduUpadhyay) November 8, 2019
Hardaway reportedly helped Wiseman and his family move to Memphis back in high school. Should this report prove true -- Wiseman and his school aren't going down without a fight, you can bet -- it's a major blunder by a first-year head coach hoping to make a major initial splash.