James Wiseman: "The Saga"

Photo by Karen Pulfer-Focht/Associated Press/Hoops Central illustration

James Wiseman announced last week that he was withdrawing from school and leaving Memphis after playing only three games. In this feature, James Wiseman: The Saga, we will examine everything that happened in what was quite the whirlwind.

Surprising as it may sound, it all started back on August 21st, 2008, when now Tigers coach Penny Hardaway made a $1 million donation to the University of Memphis where he starred in the 1990's. That move made him a booster for the school.

Wiseman, entering high school was considered one of the best players in the class of 2019. He started his high school career at The Ensworth School in Nashville, TN. After his freshman season, he played with the St. Louis Eagles AAU program on the Nike EYBL circut. Texas, Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama among others extended scholarship offers.

After his sophomore year at Ensworth, Wiseman switched AAU teams, leaving the St. Louis Eagles for Team Penny on the Nike EYBL, a team founded by Hardaway.

In August 2017, Wiseman announced he was transferring from The Ensworth School to Memphis East High School with his family moving from Nashville to Memphis. Hardaway coached the team.

On November 16th, 2017, Wiseman and East teammate Ryan Boyce are ruled ineligible by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association due to an "athletic coaching link" with Hardaway. The Shelby County Board of Education filed a lawsuit five days later seeking to overturn the ruling.

Under a month later, A Shelby County chancellor ruled in favor of Wiseman and Boyce, saying they could play, pending another hearing.

Five days after firing Tubby Smith, Memphis hires Hardaway. Penny's impact was instant; the aforementioned Ryan Boyce and Alex Lomax, who both played for East High School were released from their letters of intent to UAB and Wichita State respectively and then signed with Memphis.

Hardaway also signed Tyler Harris, Isaiah Maurice, Antwann Jones, David Wingett, and his son Jayden to the Tigers 2018 recruiting class.

On April 7th, 2018, Memphis offered Wiseman, and on the 18th, Hardaway conducted an in-home visit with Wiseman. On September 13th, he took an unofficial visit to Memphis.

On October 4th, the opening season event Memphis Madness was held. 18,000 fans were in attendance as was Wiseman and five other top-50 recruits.

On the 26th, he takes his official visit to Memphis, followed by an unofficial a week later, and then on November 20th committed to Memphis.

Wiseman, plus D.J. Jeffries, Boogie Ellis, Damion Baugh, Precious Achiuwa, Malcolm Dandridge, and Lester Quinones, the otheer members of Memphis' 2019 recruiting class join the Tigers roster this past spring.

Wiseman did not play during the team's trip to the Bahamas or in the two exhibition games due to injury. In the season opener against South Carolina State, he posted 28 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Three days later, Wiseman's attorney, Leslie Ballin, says at a news conference that Wiseman had been ruled ineligible by the NCAA after findings that Hardaway helped Wiseman and his family move to Memphis, providing $11,500 in moving expenses to Wiseman's family in the summer of 2017. Wiseman then filed a lawsuit against the NCAA.

Shelby County Chancery Court judge Jim Kyle then issued an emergency temporary restraining order on the NCAA's decision, which allowed Wiseman to play in Memphis' game that night against UIC. Wiseman recorded 17 points, 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.

The NCAA that night issued a statement saying: "The University of Memphis was notified that James Wiseman is likely ineligible. The university chose to play him and ultimately is responsible for ensuring its student-athletes are eligible to play."

On November 20th, Wiseman is suspended 12 games by the NCAA, with a return date of January 12th.  Memphis announced that they would appeal the decision.

Finally, last Thursday he announced his departure from the school. Wiseman is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NBA Draft. While Wiseman's time at Memphis was short, it was exciting. But now it is on to the pros, where the minds of many top prospects are at, and they are now finding different ways other than college to get there. Playing overseas or in the NBA's G League are new routes for players who want to avoid the college route. They can earn a paycheck and prep for the draft at the same time.

Had the jump from high school to the league been possible for Wiseman and other top players who came before him, they would've done it. But the NBA's rule change 15 years ago required players to play at least one college season.

The one-and-done rule will soon be abolished, and that is a sigh of relief for future phenoms cast in the same mold as that of Wiseman. The door will again be open for the top high school players to make the jump to the NBA, with pit stop at a college.

This is life with the NCAA. James Wiseman just went through "The Saga", let's hope players in the future don't.