NCAA Rules Top Prospect James Wiseman Ineligible to Play This Season
By Liam McKeone | Nov 08 2019
Big man James Wiseman is widely considered one of the best prospects in college basketball this year, if not the best. But the hype train will have to be on hold, as Adrian Wojnarowski reports Wiseman has been ruled ineligible to play this year by the NCAA.
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
There's no other information as to why Wiseman might be ruled ineligible for the year. So far, he's averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds on 78 percent shooting this year. This is a pretty massive development for both Wiseman and the highly-regarded Memphis recruiting class that Penny Hardaway brought in this year.
We will update as more information becomes available.
UPDATE: Wiseman's attorney said the NCAA found that Hardaway paid for Wiseman and his family to move to Memphis in high school, leading to Wiseman's ineligibility.
Memphis attorney Leslie Ballin told reporters that Penny Hardaway helped finance Wiseman and his family’s move to Memphis back in high school. Wiseman moved from Nashville to Memphis. The NCAA has deemed Penny a booster.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 8, 2019