Potential No. 1 pick James Wiseman ruled ineligible by NCAA

Potential No. 1 NBA draft pick James Wiseman has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA.

According to Wiseman’s lawyers, the player was ruled ineligible because current coach Penny Hardaway helped finance Wiseman’s move to Memphis from Nashville in 2018. Hardaway was a high school coach then and Wiseman was initially ruled ineligible before being cleared tp play. Hardaway was deemed a booster in the case.

Here’s the statement from Memphis: pic.twitter.com/eR7ro9dGof

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) November 8, 2019

Wiseman’s attorney filed a lawsuit against the NCAA on his behalf as a result of the ruling and received an injunction. Wiseman played on Friday night in a win over UIC. Hardaway says Wiseman will continue to play until the courts settle the matter.

Wiseman was initially ruled eligible by the NCAA earlier this year, but upon further investigation, the NCAA changed course.

By playing Wiseman while his eligibility status is unclear, Hardway is risking possible NCAA sanctions.