Moussa Cisse will become a Memphis Tiger, and it has the program in a great spot.
Penny Hardaway’s smooth-talking to the best basketball recruits in the country is still clearly working. As he prepares for his third year on the job, top 2020 recruit Moussa Cisse confirmed he will join Hardaway in Memphis for the upcoming 2020-21 season.
Cisse, one of the top previously uncommitted prospects in the class of 2020, chose to stay in his hometown of Memphis after committing to Penny Hardaway and the Tigers. Just one year after roping in James Wiseman, Precious Achiuwa, and Lester Quinones in one top class, Hardaway wooed yet another 5-star.
Five star prospect Moussa Cisse has committed to play for Memphis, he told ESPN. "Penny Hardaway is a legend and can help me develop my game and take it to the next level." News story: https://t.co/OVGP3ZVkjD
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) July 15, 2020
Cisse chose Memphis over schools like Kentucky, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, and LSU. 247sports has him rated as the ninth-best player in the class, the No. 2 center in 2020, behind only USC commit Evan Mobley, and the top player in the state of Tennessee.
There is a lot to like in Moussa Cisse’s game.
Cisse is a 6-foot-10, 220-pound center with surprising length, explosiveness, and athleticism for someone his size. While his shooting is OK at best and he needs to improve his overall offensive game, he should be able to see playing time right away as a rim-runner, rebounder, and shot blocker.
If he starts to develop his offensive game, especially facing the basket, Cisse has the wingspan and defensive skills necessary to potentially be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
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Even though the Tigers are losing players like Wiseman to the NBA, Hardaway’s bunch should once again be considered the favorites to win the AAC title.
Hardaway’s Tigers went 21-10 last season, even though they lost their best player in Wiseman for most of the season. With a new wave of recruits here to replace him, look for Memphis to make some noise.
Hardaway will need to work with Cisse, as he has a lot of rough edges to his game that need to be polished and fine-tuned. If everything pans out, however, the springy center has star written all over him on both ends of the floor.