#James Wiseman has been declared by the NCAA

[karenpulferfocht]

James Wiseman has been declared "likely ineligible" by the NCAA

James Wiseman, a star center on the University of Memphis men's basketball team, has been declared "likely ineligible" by the NCAA.

That news came out shortly before the game started Friday evening against UIC.

Wiseman played anyway, awaiting his day in court.

The story has been picked up all over the country. I was shooting the game for the Associated Press. Here is what they all are saying along with a photo gallery from the game. (Photos ©Karen Pulfer Focht/Associated Press)

https://apnews.com/9f0a07b772214dc1946281b5f9b1df66

https://dailymemphian.com/section/sports/article/8747/james-wiseman-ineligible-according-to-attorney

https://dailymemphian.com/section/sports/article/8764/calkins-memphis-declares-war-on-the-ncaa

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/08/sports/basketball/james-wiseman-memphis.html

https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/11/08/sports/ncaabasketball/bc-bkc-t25-illinois-chicago-memphis.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/08/court-allows-memphis-star-james-wiseman-play-shortly-after-ncaa-rules-him-ineligible/

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/28036639/for-3-making-sense-james-wiseman-eligibility-issue-cole-anthony-shines-again

[saipparn]

Memphis men's basketball team facing multiple NCAA violations

Memphis is reportedly facing four Level I and two Level II NCAA violations stemming from an 18-month investigation into the Tigers' men's basketball program.

The Daily Memphian obtained the notice of allegations and an amended notice of allegations from the Independent Accountability Resolution Process investigation. An infractions case involving former Memphis center James Wiseman was the first case accepted by the IARP in the spring of 2020.

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway is the only person named in the notice of allegations, according to the report. It says Hardaway was involved in at least one of the Level I violations and the two Level II violations. The NCAA alleges Hardaway "failed to demonstrate that he promoted an atmosphere of compliance within the men's basketball program."

The Memphis Commercial Appeal, which also obtained the documents, reported that the investigation extended beyond Wiseman.

Wiseman, a No. 1 recruit who committed to play for Hardaway and Memphis during the 2019-20 season, was suspended 12 games in November 2019 for two violations: his mother accepting $11,500 from Hardaway in the summer of 2017 and Wiseman playing in three games while ineligible.

Memphis appealed the ruling, but the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement upheld the decision.

The Daily Memphian obtained Memphis' response to the allegations, which included this statement:

"The case presents alleged infractions involving the University of Memphis (redacted) that are overcharged and combined with non-violations, accusations involving a separate sport (football) that has not been charged, information UM self-reported and pandemic-related events over which the parties had no control," it said. "The facts do not demonstrate a lack of institutional control, a failure to monitor, a failure to cooperate or a lack of (redacted) responsibility."

Memphis said Wiseman had no knowledge of the payment, which was used to cover moving expenses when Wiseman's family moved from Nashville to Memphis. At the time of the alleged payment, Hardaway was the head coach at East High School in Memphis and ran the Team Penny grassroots program. Because he donated $1 million to Memphis in 2008 to build a sports hall of fame, Hardaway was considered a booster.

Wiseman played in three games before Memphis declared him ineligible, but he ultimately left one month later to prepare for the NBA draft.

[junker-town]

College basketball’s most important questions as March Madness approaches

Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images

It’s OK if you’ve been too distracted by football to pay enough attention to college basketball. We’re here to answer your questions and get you ready for the stretch run.

Have you been so consumed by football for the last five months that you’re woefully behind on what’s been happening in the world of college basketball? Would you like to change that so you sound like you know what you’re talking about once March Madness rolls around in a month?

Once again, we here at SB Nation college basketball have you, the diehard football fan who is finally ready to start paying attention to college hoops now that the Super Bowl is over, covered.

Let’s hear your questions.

So tell me who’s good

Diving right in. All right.

This one is actually a little bit bit trickier than it has been in years past.

Since the first few weeks of November, college basketball’s defining narrative for 2019-20 has seemed to revolve around parity and the notion that there are no great teams this season. Here are just a few of the dozens of fairly ridiculous facts and figures to back that up.

— A total of seven different teams have sat atop the Associated Press top 25 poll this season, tied for the most in the history of the poll, which dates all the way back to 1949.

— With over a month still to play in the regular season, top-five teams have lost to unranked opponents a whopping 15 times. That only happened six times all of last season.

— Top-10 teams have lost to unranked opponents 28 times in 2019-20. It happened 27 times all of last season.

— If you’re looking for a perfect synopsis of this season, look no further than this past Saturday. Nine top-25 teams were handed losses, and three of those losses happened to ranked teams playing at home against unranked opponents. Three ranked Big East teams lost at home on the same day, the first time in the history of the conference that has happened.

OK, but, like, who’s gonna win the tournament?

Well, that’s an impossible question to answer in any year, but because of all the stuff we just talked about, it feels especially impossible to answer right now.

Why don’t you just tell me who’s No. 1 right now and we’ll go from there? Which traditional powerhouse is at the top of the polls?

The No. 1 team in the AP Poll at the moment is actually the Baylor Bears.

You’re shittin’ me.

Nope.

Well are they good?

Clearly.

How good?

Baylor is No. 1 in a season for just the second time in program history thanks to a sensational 19-1 start that includes home or neutral court wins over Villanova, Butler and Arizona, and road wins over Kansas, Texas Tech and Florida. Their only loss came on the first week of the season to Washington in a game the Bears controlled all the way up until a collapse in the final couple of minutes. Also, that game was played in Alaska.

Why?

I don’t know, man. I think Trajan Langdon turned 50 or something.

All that matters is Baylor is very good and is absolutely capable of making its first Final Four run since 1950. Point guard Jared Butler is the name to toss around if you want to make it seem like you’ve been watching the Bears since November. He’s their engine.

So if Baylor is 19-1 and ranked No. 1, I assume there are no undefeated teams remaining, correct?

Incorrect.

The mighty Aztecs of San Diego State will begin post-Super Bowl play with a flawless 23-0 mark. They scored impressive non-conference wins over Creighton (by 31), Iowa (by 10) and BYU (on the road), and have won their first 12 Mountain West Conference games by an average of just under 12 points per contest.

SDSU will be a solid favorite in each of its final six regular-season games. If the Aztecs win all of those and then win the Mountain West tournament, they’ll become just the second team since 1991 — joining 2013-14 Wichita State and 2014-15 Kentucky — to enter the NCAA tournament with an unblemished record.

Steve Fisher, man. I always thought he got a raw deal at Michigan. Guy can flat-out coach.

Fisher actually retired in 2017. His longtime associate head coach Brian Dutcher — with him for a decade at Michigan and 18 seasons at San Diego State — is now the head coach of the Aztecs.

Whatever. So we’ve got Baylor and we’ve got San Diego State in the top five. Who else is there?

This is actually the first time since the 2002-03 preseason poll that the top four teams in the current AP top 25 poll — Baylor, Gonzaga, Kansas and San Diego State — are all schools located west of the Mississippi River.

Hasn’t it been like a billion years since a West Coast team won it all?

Yep. No team west of the Rocky Mountains has cut down the nets since Arizona did it all the way back in 1997. Obviously, Baylor and Kansas don’t fit into this discussion, but Gonzaga, San Diego State, Arizona and Oregon are all teams that have legitimate shots at ending the West Coast’s run of futility.

Louisville rounds out the current top five, by the way.

Yeah I’d forgotten the question. Tell me some other weird teams that are good in this weird season.

How about Dayton? The Flyers have only lost to Kansas and Colorado, and both of those losses occurred in overtime. They have one of the best offenses in the entire country, a leading national Player of the Year candidate in the freakishly gifted Obi Toppin, and a legitimate chance to win the school’s first national championship.

The Flyers are one of a handful of teams that have never won the national title before that seem to have a serious shot in 2020. If one of those teams does win the tournament, it’ll be the first time college basketball has seen back-to-back first time champs since 2002-03.

So how much is Zion dominating this year?

Uhh, well actually he —

I’m just messing with you, man. I know he’s in the NBA.

Ha, ha. OK, good. For a second there I thought I was gonn—

Played his one year at Duke, got that national title, and then bounced.

You know what? Sure.

Who is the Zion of this season?

No individual player this season has or will be able to generate anywhere near the level of buzz that Zion Williamson was able to a year ago. In fact, this might be the strangest season of all-time in terms of college basketball’s relationship with the projected top picks in the next NBA Draft.

LaMelo Ball, a projected top-five pick according to pretty much everyone who does that sort of thing, never set foot on a college campus. Neither did projected lottery pick R.J. Hampton, who spurned Kansas in favor of joining Ball in playing professionally in New Zealand.

James Wiseman, another projected top-five pick, played three games for Memphis before the NCAA declared him ineligible because of a whole deal that we don’t have time to get into. Eventually the NCAA suspended Wiseman for 12 games, and in the middle of serving that suspension, Wiseman decided that none of this was worth it and he would start preparing for the NBA Draft.

North Carolina freshman star Cole Anthony, another potential top-10 pick, has missed more than half of this season with a knee injury. He just returned to the court this past week.

The highest-rated NBA prospect who is currently a healthy and active member of the college basketball scene is potential No. 1 pick Anthony Edwards. The only problem is he’s playing for a Georgia team that is 12-9 overall, has lost six of its last eight games, and seems to have little hope of making the NCAA tournament.

Team relevance is also an issue for potential lottery picks like Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State), Jaden McDaniels (Washington) and Isaiah Stewart (Washington), who play on teams that are firmly on the wrong side of the tournament bubble at the moment.

The good news for star power in the sport is that it has Toppin. The bad news is that he plays in the Atlantic 10 and won’t be back under the sport’s brightest lights again until March.

Hey, show me some buzzer-beaters.

With pleasure.

Oregon’s Payton Pritchard is another national POY candidate, and he’s made a habit of hitting ridiculous shots in the final seconds of close games this season.

PAYTON PRITCHARD FOR THE WIN! (via @CBSSports) pic.twitter.com/tfP2mjYPk4

— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness) January 18, 2020

If you’re looking for a true buzzer-beater, how about NC State’s Markell Johnson from halfcourt to beat UNC-Greensboro?

Isaiah Stevens for Colorado State to beat Nevada was nice.

And finally, D’Shawn Schwartz of Colorado at the overtime horn to hand Dayton its second and still most recent loss.

Buffs beat Dayton at the buzzer. This game was awesome. pic.twitter.com/MHC72DFIGi

— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) December 22, 2019

There have been countless others already this season, but that should be enough to whet your palette before March.

What about bad-ass dunks? Any of those?

Sure.

Toppin is probably the closest thing this season has to Williamson. He’s been putting on a show since night one.

Washington’s Nahziah Carter can absolutely fly.

Greg Williams of St. John’s showing teammate Mustapha Heron how it’s done was nice.

OMG GREG WILLIAMS ———— Former Lafayette Christian star Greg Williams Jr just DETONATED on a Brown defender @gthemenace pic.twitter.com/cJCRQlpM4I

— FastBreak Entertainment (@FastBreak__ENT) December 11, 2019

Just like with the buzzer-beaters, there are tons more out there.

So even without Zion, is it safe to assume that Duke is still pretty awesome?

Despite an absurd early home loss to Stephen F. Austin, they’re definitely good. The Blue Devils are 18-3 and the No. 2 team in the country according to Ken Pomeroy.

Coach K also recently had a hilarious meltdown directed at the Cameron Crazies that is worth a few minutes of your attention.

Kansas rolling too?

They are. The Jayhawks won the Maui Invitational in November and have just three losses as we head into the final stretch of the regular season. A couple of weeks ago they were involved in a nasty fight with Kansas State that resulted in some hefty suspensions. Those two teams will play again Feb. 29.

And I guess North Carolina is just hammering fools too?

Ummm. Not exactly.

The Tar Heels are just 10-11 overall and a miserable 3-7 in ACC play. Star freshman Cole Anthony missing a lot of time with a knee injury certainly hasn’t helped matters, but UNC wasn’t exactly thriving before he went down. In its first game with Anthony back and available, North Carolina lost at home to Boston College on Saturday. Earlier in the season, they lost at home to Clemson for the first time ever. The Tigers had been 0-59 in Chapel Hill before the game.

Unless Anthony and company do something ridiculous at the ACC tournament, Carolina is going to not hear its name called on Selection Sunday for the first time in 10 years.

Which conference is the best?

In terms of overall quality, it’s probably the Big Ten. Northwestern and Nebraska are both very bad, but the other 12 teams in the league all have very legitimate shots at making the NCAA tournament.

If you’re talking top to bottom, the Big East has a case at well. Every team in the conference is at least two games over .500, and at least four teams from the league have been in the top 25 virtually every week this season.

So does that mean ... Rutgers is good?

It does. The Scarlet Knights recently cracked the AP top 25 for the first time since 1979 and are tracking towards making their first NCAA tournament since 1991. That drought is the longest of any power conference program.

And DePaul!?

Not so much. The Blue Demons had a fantastic non-conference run, taking down Minnesota, Iowa and Texas Tech on their way to a 12-1 start. They’ve since gone 1-8 in Big East play and are once again looking like they will miss the Big Dance for the 16th straight year.

I had so much hope this year.

We all did.

Give me your Final Four.

I don’t really like to do that before we get the actual bracket.

Why?

It’s a totally pointless exercise to pick a Final Four when so much of who makes up the Final Four is based on tournament draw. If you pick four teams right now, two or three of them might end up being in the same region on Selection Sunday.

Well I’d stay away from Virginia. I always forget what happens a few months after March, but the one thing I ALWAYS remember is that Virginia chokes.

This all feels like it may have been a massive waste of time, but yes, you’re probably going to be OK if you don’t have Virginia in your Final Four this March.

That’s all I needed to hear. Much appreciated.

Anytime.

[youngandhungryent]

Get Paid, Young Brother: James Wiseman Leaves Memphis, Declares For The NBA Draft

Source: Joe Murphy / Getty

The University of Memphis is now short of a player and an ongoing saga involving James Wiseman will only grow in the wake of his leaving the squad to declare for the NBA Draft. However, Wiseman’s decision to go pro isn’t without its fair share of questionable happenings in the background.

In a lengthy Instagram post, Wiseman, who played center for the Tigers squad, shared this his stated goal was always to get to the NBA and he’s doing so amid a bit of scandal of which none was his fault.

When Memphis coach Penny Hardaway was coaching high school in the city back in 2017, he paid $11,000 for Wiseman’s family to move from Nashville to Memphis. The NCAA at first let the payment slide and declared Wiseman eligible then slapped a 12-game suspension one him due to Hardaway being considered a “booster” for the Memphis Tigers, having donated to the school in 2008.

While sitting on ice, Wiseman realized that he no longer needed college basketball after realizing the NCAA maybe didn’t know what to do with him. It was quite a blow to Memphis too as many players Hardaway lured to the team was because many of them wanted to play with Wiseman.

Hiring an agent and killing all hopes of reentering the college ranks, Wiseman said all that needed to be said about his decision.

“Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. Throughout this process, I’ve asked God to ordain my steps and lead me in the right direction,” Wiseman wrote on Thursday.

Coach Hardaway held a press conference Friday afternoon and supports Wiseman’s in his decision, even noting that he didn’t want him to bolt for the NBA. However, Hardaway said that while the team was stunned, they still have a season to play and it shouldn’t hinge on one player.

Reporter Brad Broders captured the presser via Twitter. Check it out below along with Wiseman’s IG post.

Coach Penny Hardaway appears in good spirits. His reaction to James Wiseman withdrawal from @uofmemphis: “obviously I didn’t want to happen but I support @BigTicket_JW 100%. He’s an 18-year-Old kid who had a lot going on in the last few months.” pic.twitter.com/cMGoz0I0gi

— Brad Broders (@Local24Brad) December 20, 2019

View this post on Instagram

Today I formally withdrew from the University of Memphis and I will be preparing for the next chapter of my life. Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA. Throughout this process, I’ve asked God to ordain my steps and lead me in the right direction. God is my lord and salvation, and throughout this process he has comforted me. This was not how I expected my freshman season to be, but I’m thankful for everyone who has supported my family and me throughout this process. I want to thank the coaches and staff for all their support and my teammates for pushing me everyday at practice. I feel blessed for the opportunity to be a Tiger and for having the honor to play with these special group of guys. I can’t wait to see what all they accomplish this season. The friends and fans of Tiger Nation will always hold a place in my heart. #GoTigersGo

A post shared by James Wiseman (@bigticket_j13) on Dec 19, 2019 at 11:41am PST

—

Photo: Getty

source https://hiphopwired.com/832779/james-wiseman-leaves-memphis/

[chapulana]

A Deep Look At The 2019 McDonald’s All-American Class

Long gone are the times when Earvin – later known as Magic – was named to be part of what was to be the first class of McDonald’s All-Americans to ever grace such honor. He, along another 13 more players from around the nation and two alternates just in case someone couldn’t make it, were selected for the team that comprised what were supposed to be the most stacked roster of high school seniors available back then in 1977 to face a squad made out of stars from Washington D.C.

Of those who made it to the NBA (10 of the 14), almost everyone had at least three or four fruitful seasons in the League, while Magic Johnson became the face of it during his peak. The trend has been steady since the first edition of the game, and although there have been atrocious classes (the one of 1992 only featured six future NBA players, and three never reached 600 games) the norm says that more than half the field of players selected would have productive pro-careers. On this side of excellence, we only have to look at the class of 2014, as only one player remains out of the NBA yet is still playing for Kentucky at collegiate level, and is expected to reach the League this next summer, making it 24 of 24 pros.

We still don’t know what will happen to the class of 2018 in terms of their career development. What we already know are the names of those who will feature in this upcoming late-March clash between the East and West All-American teams.

The rosters, must be said, are as stacked as they can. Yes, there are snubs. Yes, there are players who – most probably – will eventually flop. It’s the law of nature and we can do nothing about it. The selection committee had to chose between 800+ pre-selected players (including boys and girls) and only 24 made the final cut (48 if we include the girls’ teams). That means less than 6% of the players that appeared on the preliminary list will play in March, let alone the percentage if we consider all seniors and eligible kids playing around the nation.

Although each scouting service ranks player differently, we can look at 247Sports Composite rankings (which aggregates those of multiple sites) to get an overall idea of how the selection went and who deserved to get in or was left out without meriting it. Of the 24 selected, only three fall off the best 24 players ranked by 247Sports (No. 27 Trendon Watford, No. 26 Tre Mann and No. 47 Samuell Williamson). They got in by moving next-best ranked No. 18 Onyeka Okongwu, No. 21 Will Baker and No. 22 Keion Brooks out. By these rankings – which by no means should be taken as the be-all end-all benchmark of future success – the selections were pretty much spot-on.

With the names already known, let’s take a quick look at the tiers of prospects that will feature (and who won’t) on the 42nd edition of the McDonald’s All-American game:

Tier 1: Can’t-Miss Kids

The cream of the crop of this season’s class of HS seniors is highlighted by James Wiseman, Vernon Carey, Cole Anthony and Anthony Edwards. Everyone of them boast a grade of 0.999+ on 247Sports, which is to say they are historically on par with prospects such as Andrew Wiggins, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons or Kyrie Irving. Two of them, Anthony and Edwards, have yet to pick a college and will play together on the East team along other players who could sway their final decisions. A little under that mark, I would personally put Scottie Lewis (No. 12), Bryan Antoine (No. 13) and Nico Mannion (No. 14) in this group too.

Tier 2: Best Prospects

A notch below the sure-things (if we can be sure of anything at this level), we find a bunch of players that have been tearing up rivals during the past few seasons. For me, the names to keep an eye on would include those of Jaden McDaniels (No. 5), Isaiah Stewart (No. 6), Kahlil Whitney (No. 8), Tyrese Maxey (No. 10), Josh Green (No. 11) and Isaiah Mobley (No. 17). I find hard to find glaring faults in their game, and that made them stay in this second group.

Tier 3: Good-not-Great Guys

Be it a lack of effort (because of them or the lack of competition, which can happen at this level), of an aspect of the game (outside shooting, vision, rebounding, defense, you name it) or any other little flaw, the next few guys are also at the top of the game but dropped to this third tier. Here I would allocate kids such as Matthew Hurt (No. 7), Precious Achiuwa (No. 9), Joshia James (No. 15), Trayce Jackson-Davis (No.16), Jeremiah Robinson-Earl (No. 19), Armando Bacot (No. 20) and Tre Mann (No. 26). I hope I don’t have to remind you that even while they were put in this third level, this guys were cherry picked from all of the nation’s senior, so we are not dealing with middling players here.

Tier 4: All-Upside Players

Finally, at this point we are left with five prospects that for one reason or another are not ranked that high as their peers. On average, they are low in the positional ranks for the role they play on the court, and that means they’ll play with a chip in their shoulder, thus trying to elevate their game over that of the most coveted players. Here, then, we’d have Oscar Tshiebwe (No. 23), Wendell More (No. 24), Trendon Watford (No. 27) and Samuell Williamson (No. 47).

No-No Tier: Snubs and Misses

I have already said it and I can’t be clearer: this All-American class of players is as good as it can be, snubs or not. Even with that, though, some names that won’t be on the court for the all-star game this next March make some of the selections a little dubious not because of the lack of quality of those picked, but because of the talent of those left out.

The most glaring case can be that of Onyeka Okongwu (No. 18), who playing for Chino Hills has never been nationally ranked lower than No. 20 and has quite a resumé including being named California Mr. Basketball and having a national AAU chip to his name. With him, two other already mentioned prospects ranked between the best 24 players of the nation (Will Baker and Keion Brooks) will be watching from home. On a personal level, I’d include Cassius Stanley (No. 27), Jalen Lecque (No. 29), Boogie Ellis (No. 36) and Isaac Okoro (No. 38) as notable omissions that will take some fun off the game not being part of it.

At this point, and just to close all of this, you may still be wondering why after reading more than a thousand words you have yet to find the name of LaMelo Ball. The youngest of the BBB brothers is playing point at SPIRE Academy (OH) this season after a spell in Lithuania. That, precisely, is what has – also with the business of LaVar Ball floating around – made it a tough out for him to make a name for himself in the HS and college recruiting rankings, as his situation is unique. Although considered one of the best point guards and overall players in the nation (ESPN just ranked him No. 13 for the 2019 class, only behind fellow PGs Cole Anthony and Nico Mannion), he has yet to receive official offers from meaningful NCAA DI colleges and that is not a lock to happen as he could be deemed ineligible to play at that level. This could mean sitting out for a year, another season playing in Europe or at another country and team who eventually wanted his services, or enter the NBA’s outer-circles by playing for a G-League team before he declares for the 2020 NBA draft. In any case, LaMelo’s ability is undeniable and he will make it to the League in most scenarios. Don’t be surprised if you don’t hear his name a lot during the next twelve months, but prepare to see him raise on mock drafts come June 2020.

Wiseman, Carey, and the rest of the top-crew will still be there, but competition will definitely emerge from the most unexpected places and things will start looking much different once the new college season start next fall and finishes months later with everybody looking to make the jump to pro-ball.

* * *

Read the full feature on SBNation.

[clubsocial-india]

New on Sports Illustrated: What's Next in the James Wiseman Saga?

Wiseman has withdrawn from the University of Memphis and reportedly signed with an agent, making him ineligible to play in NCAA games.

James Wiseman is now a professional athlete. The former University of Memphis Tigers freshman, who had been suspended by the NCAA for allegedly accepting $11,500 in moving expenses from Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway while Wiseman was in high school and Hardaway was a high school basketball coach, announced on Friday that he had withdrawn from the university. The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that Wiseman has signed with an agent. The signing renders Wiseman ineligible to play in NCAA games.

Wiseman’s short stay at Memphis attracted a considerable amount of attention from NCAA enforcement officers and attorneys hired by Wiseman and the NCAA.

The Wiseman-NCAA battle formally began on Nov. 8 when his attorneys sought and obtained a temporary restraining order from a judge in Shelby County (Tennessee). The order effectively blocked the NCAA from suspending Wiseman. Although the NCAA had not yet suspended Wiseman, the non-profit organization expressed that it would likely do so.

The pending suspension primarily concerned events that had occurred in 2017. At the time, Hardaway was a coach at Memphis East High School. He allegedly paid $11,500 in expenses for Wiseman and his family to move from Nashville to Memphis. Several months later, the University of Memphis hired Hardaway and later signed Wiseman as a top recruit.

The NCAA objected to the payment of expenses not because Hardaway would be hired by Memphis months later, but because the NCAA classified Hardaway as a representative of Memphis’s athletic interests (also known as a “booster”). Hardaway, the third overall pick in the 1993 NBA draft, is a legendary alumnus of the university and its basketball program. Boosters include persons who promote a school’s athletic program. Under NCAA rules, boosters are generally forbidden from conferring money or items of value to a university’s student-athletes or its recruits.

About a week after obtaining a temporary restraining order, attorneys for Wiseman negotiated a resolution of sorts with the NCAA. Wiseman withdrew his litigation and accepted the NCAA’s authority to suspend him. The NCAA suspended Wiseman 12 games, a suspension the NCAA upheld on Wiseman’s appeal. The suspension would have expired on January 12, meaning the 11th-ranked Tigers planned on Wiseman playing in postseason tournaments.

More controversially, the NCAA also required that Wiseman “donate” $11,500 to a charity. Obviously, a “required donation” is tantamount to a fine—a curious punishment for a player who, as an amateur, can’t be paid. NCAA rules also do not contemplate player fines.

Wiseman finishes his collegiate career having played in three games. The 7’1, 240-pound center averaged 19.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in those games. Wiseman is widely expected to be selected among the top three picks in the 2020 NBA draft.

The Wiseman saga will continue to play on in at least five ways:

1) Wiseman can now sign lucrative endorsement deals and profit from the use of his name, image and likeness. If it hasn’t already happened, it won’t take long for representatives of major sneaker, apparel, food, beverage and video game companies to contact Wiseman’s agent and present offers.

A player projected to be a top three pick in the NBA draft can expect multi-million-dollar endorsement offers from companies in those and other industries.

The days of worrying about NCAA eligibility are officially over for Wiseman. He’s now a pro and can become a very wealthy 18-year-old in a matter of days.

2) The timing of Wiseman’s announcement is really bad for the NCAA. While the NCAA fends off legal and policy attacks on its system of amateurism, Wiseman just highlighted the power of players to render the NCAA irrelevant.

Consider the context of Wiseman’s decision. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed the Fair Pay to Play Act, which beginning in 2023 will make it illegal for California colleges to deny college athletes opportunities to hire agents and license their names, images and likenesses. Other states are exploring similar legislation. NCAA president Mark Emmert was in D.C. earlier this week hoping for members of Congress to propose an NCAA-friendly bill on name, image and likeness while offering an ambiguous message at an Aspen Institute forum.

Meanwhile, the G League is paying players more and giving them greater publicity, and NBA players are helping G Leaguers unionize. Watching it all unfold are LaMelo Ball and R.J. Hampton, two 18-year-old American basketball stars who are getting paid to play in Australia’s National Basketball League while preparing for the 2020 NBA draft.

It would not be surprising to see elite high school basketball stars increasingly turn away from playing in college. Even without eligibility to enter the NBA out of high school, they can, as 18-year-olds, play professionally, get on TV, make good wages and sign endorsement deals. They also just saw the NCAA impose a five-figure fine—ahem, required donation—on Wiseman, whom NCAA amateurism rules forbid from being paid for his highly marketable basketball talents and identity.

This is a not a good fact pattern for the NCAA.

3) Will Wiseman ever make the “required donation”? It’s not clear if Wiseman or his family have complied with the NCAA punishment that he “donate” $11,500 as a condition to him returning to play.

If he hasn’t paid the amount and refuses to do so, the NCAA might experience difficulty enforcing this supposed obligation. The NCAA claimed in writing that Wiseman “must donate $11,500 to a charity of his choice.” This was strange wording. A donation is a voluntary act. Merriam-Webster defines a donation as “the making of a gift.” We are not legally obligated to make gifts.

Unless Wiseman has contractually agreed to make the donation, it is probably not one that the NCAA can legally enforce. The NCAA no longer has any leverage over Wiseman. He’s a pro.

4) Will Wiseman return to school? As a basketball player, the answer to this question is clearly “no.” As a student, we’ll see. A number of NBA players and other pro athletes have pursued studies and completed college degrees during the offseason. With more and more schools offering online courses, starting or returning to college are much more feasible.

The larger point: college is not a “one shot” deal. A player who leaves school and turns pro hasn’t foreclosed the chance to return there, or at another university, as a student. He or she wouldn’t receive an athletic scholarship, but they might have earned enough money to pay tuition or they might receive other kinds of scholarships and aid.

5) Will Hardaway or Memphis be punished? While Wiseman is now beyond the long reach of the NCAA, the same can’t be said of Hardaway or the University of Memphis. As detailed by Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, the NCAA could punish both for violations related to moving expenses. Hardaway, for example, could be suspended given his role in the controversy.

The NCAA might also punish Memphis for playing Wiseman against Illinois-Chicago on Nov. 8 and Oregon on Nov. 12 while he faced a pending punishment.

To that point, the NCAA previously warned Memphis that the school “ultimately is responsible for ensuring its student-athletes are eligible to play." The NCAA also has the power of the Restitution Rule. Under this rule, the NCAA can compel a school to share television receipts for games played by a player whom the NCAA declares ineligible but who defied the NCAA by playing through a court injunction that is later vacated.

Here, as part of a settlement with the NCAA, Wiseman petitioned for the judge to dismiss the lawsuit and thus vacate the injunction. Also, the NCAA had not yet suspended Wiseman. Under those circumstances, the NCAA would probably decline to pursue a penalty under the Restitution Rule. We’ll see.

Michael McCann is SI’s Legal Analyst. He is also an attorney and Director of the Sports and Entertainment Law Institute at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law.

December 20, 2019 at 05:47AM What's Next in the James Wiseman Saga? from Blogger https://ift.tt/38T6BVz