Memphis’ James Wiseman suspended 12 games, must donate $11,000 to charity
The NCAA has reached a decision on Memphis star freshman James Wiseman, and he’ll be suspended for a total of 12 games.
The NCAA was ready to suspend Memphis star freshman big man James Wiseman for taking impermissible benefits, but he played three games while theoretically ineligible. He dropped the lawsuit that allowed him to play, sat a game, and awaited an NCAA ruling.
On Wednesday, the NCAA announced Wiseman will miss an additional 11 games for a total suspension of 12 games. He’ll be eligible to return Jan.12 against South Florida. He will be able to practice with the team.
Memphis has acknowledged that head coach Anfernee Hardaway before he became coach of the Tigers, provided $11,500 for moving expenses to Wiseman and his family in the summer of 2017. Hardaway was Wiseman’s AAU coach at the time and then went on to coach him at Memphis East High School. The NCAA has deemed that Hardaway was a Memphis booster, due to a $1 million donation to the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame, thus the money to Wiseman qualifies as an impermissible benefit/a recruiting inducement.
Wiseman will mostly miss the remainder of Memphis’ non-conference schedule, and the biggest game he’ll miss is Dec. 14 against currently 20th-ranked in-state rival Tennessee.
In addition to the suspension, the NCAA has also stipulated that Wiseman must donate $11,500 to the charity of his choice. That donation of course, and not coincidentally, matches the amount his family got from Hardaway.
The quick resolution Wiseman was seeking when he dropped his lawsuit last week has happened. But if a 12-game suspension seems a little excessive, Memphis apparently agrees and will appeal, according to CBS’ Gary Parrish.
Wiseman was the No. 1 overall player in the 2019 recruiting class, and a lot of early projections for the 2020 NBA Draft have him No. 1 overall. This situation won’t diminish his NBA stock, and if anything he’ll avoid risk of injury for a chunk of games. At 3-1 thus far, the Tigers should be just fine without him and they’ll get him back with fresher legs when it matters the most.
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