Fighting for Wiseman wasn’t smart but it was right
The verdict is in: The NCAA recently ruled that University of Memphis basketball freshman James Wiseman must sit out a total of 12 games and pay $11,500 to charity.
That's a stiff punishment that will keep the former No. 1 recruit in the nation out of rotation until the Tigers' Jan. 12 game, our Jason Munz reports. Because he recently sat out against Alcorn State and Little Rock, Wiseman has 10 games left on the bench. But the U of M will appeal in hopes of receiving a "more fair and equitable resolution."
The ruling didn't go over well on Twitter, our Katherine Burgess reports. Many people pointed out the apparent absurdity of forbidding college athletes from earning a profit from the sport while at the same time requiring Wiseman to give $11,500 to a charity of his choice. As a refresher, the NCAA ruled Wiseman eligible despite Tigers coach Penny Hardaway contributing $11,500 to the Wisemans' move from Nashville to Memphis before he became coach, but then ruled him ineligible just before the season opener.
Wiseman seemed to take the ruling in his considerable stride, posting this on Twitter:
"God has never left me nor forsake me throughout this process...trust God, Keep the Faith, Stay the Course"
Meanwhile, Hardaway was characteristically straightforward about how he felt about the ruling in a pregame radio interview, our Jason Munz reports:
"I'm in shock as well," he said. "Obviously, the magnitude of this ruling doesn't fit what happened. To have 12 games is just ridiculous to me."
The ruling may have shocked Hardaway but was incredibly on-brand for the NCAA, whose approach to ruling college athletics would make Mussolini blush. The truth is, Memphis should have expected this outcome, especially after defying the NCAA by playing Wiseman despite knowing he was "likely ineligible," our Mark Giannotto writes.
But even though taking on the NCAA in defense of Wiseman wasn't smart, it was still right. Because, as Mark points out, the one being punished in this mess is the victim.
Memphis has a complex: It hates bullies, whether they're in Nashville, Knoxville or Indianapolis. Through that lens, everything the school and Hardaway have done up until now, and the ferocious support they've received from Tigers fans, makes perfect sense. And it also makes perfect sense that the school is still fighting for Wiseman, even if the fight costs Memphis an NCAA tournament bid or results in a major infractions case.
But the Wiseman case is about so much more than Wiseman, and has been for a while. This fight is about the pride of a city that, rightly or wrongly, feels like it's been pushed around and looked down upon longer than anyone still living can remember.
So, now that we have the verdict, does Memphis regret challenging the authority of the NCAA? Take a look on social media. Talk to fans. That's a big, resounding "nope."
Because Memphis wouldn't be Memphis if it didn't stand with the underdogs.