James Wiseman

      James Wiseman is was a standout basketball player in high school. In the class of 2019, he was the number 1 recruit coming out of high school. He was a staggering 7 feet tall and weighed 210 pounds. He attended East High School in Memphis, Tennessee. Out of all of his offers, he decided to commit to the University of Memphis. Before entering the University of Memphis he grew an additional inch and put on another 30 pounds. 

      The Memphis Tigers are looking to have one of the most promising seasons yet. They have the strongest recruit class this year and looking to be the best team in college basketball. That is before James Wiseman got caught up in other allegations. Back in 2017, Wiseman's mother accepted $11,500 from Penny Hardaway the current coach of Memphis. In addition, the Memphis Tigers still decided to play him in the first three games. This was after he was ruled ineligible to play. This move added an additional penalty on James. After reviewing the case the NCAA gave him a 12 game suspension. 9 games for his family receiving money from the coach and 3 games for playing in 3 games will ineligible. This suspension has sparked controversy because people are questioning the relationship college athletes should have.

      Along with ongoing controversy, James Wiseman had no knowledge of the payments accepted by his family. The $11,500 were for his family's moving expenses from Nashville to Memphis. People find it unreasonable that he should be punished for something he did not know about. In order to regain his eligibility, he must donate $12,000 to the charity of his choice and serve his 12 game suspension. Other people have also wondered why Penny Hardaway has no punishment. He gave Wisemen's family the money and was part of the violation. But in the NCAA the players get the punishment for accepting money. He will be eligible to play on January 12.

Borzello, Jeff. “Memphis' James Wiseman Must Sit Additional 10 Games as Part of Suspension.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 20 Nov. 2019, www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28124656/memphis-james-wiseman-sit-additional-10-games-part-suspension.