What’s next for Wiseman, U of M?
So what’s the punishment?
Now that Memphis basketball star James Wiseman formally withdrew his lawsuit against the NCAA, now that he’s been ruled ineligible by the university, now that we know he’s applying for reinstatement, that’s the question every Tigers fan is asking.
Here in Memphis, this is no longer about Memphis potentially changing the NCAA as we know it. Even if that’s what this case became nationally as soon as it was filed Friday. Even if this is likely ending in a manner both sides wanted.
This is now about the future of this season, a season that’s been the talk of this city from the moment Wiseman signed with the Tigers.
Although this saga over Wiseman’s eligibility appears to be on the verge of being settled, that settlement will have consequences. Because by ruling Wiseman ineligible, Memphis is acknowledging that an NCAA violation occurred when Wiseman’s mother was given $11,500 for moving expenses by Penny
Hardaway in the summer of 2017.
What exactly that means carries significant ramifications for both the NCAA and Memphis.
The university said in a statement it’s “confident that the NCAA will render a fair and equitable decision consistent with its mission.”
Well, what does that look like?
What seems clear is Wiseman will have to repay the $11,500 and sit out some games, starting with Saturday's matchup against Alcorn State. Memphis also might have to forfeit the ones he already played in.
Will it be equivalent to 30 percent of the regular season – about nine or 10 games – as the NCAA penalty matrix suggests it could be based on the amount of money at issue here?
Will it be only a few games, which would suggest the NCAA understands these are unique circumstances involving a Memphis “booster” who wasn't actually giving Wiseman's family money to steer him to Memphis.
Will it be somewhere in between, which would suggest both sides entered into these settlement discussions well aware of what's at stake?
Will Hardaway also be suspended for games, as Yahoo! columnist Dan Wetzel suggested, as a result of this situation?
Glancing at the Tigers' upcoming schedule, if Wiseman is suspended for three games, he wouldn't play against Ole Miss on Nov. 23. If it's five games, he would miss a Nov. 28 matchup against
North Carolina State in Brooklyn. If it's seven or more games, he wouldn't play at Tennessee on Dec. 14.
The guess here is Memphis will have to forfeit or vacate its win over Illinoischicago on Friday when Wiseman played after receiving a temporary restraining order. The Tigers also might have to forfeit or vacate their seasonopening win against South Carolina State on Nov. 5 because Memphis technically received a letter informing the school of Wiseman's ineligibility just before tip-off.
Whatever the case may be, these two truths will have to be satisfied by the resolution:
1. The NCAA doesn't want any future student-athletes and member institutions to think going the route Memphis did here is a wise move.
2. The “fair and equitable decision” made by the NCAA in regards to Wiseman will have to be fair and equitable enough to justify withdrawing a lawsuit the NCAA very clearly did not want lingering over this season.
The details matter here, particularly as we try to determine whether Wiseman and Memphis did the right thing by challenging the NCAA like they did.
Because losses to South Carolina State and Illinois-chicago aren't going to help the Tigers' NCAA Tournament resume come March, and a lengthy Wiseman suspension isn't going to help the Tigers win those upcoming marquee nonconference games.
So the issues surrounding this case are no longer about the No. 1 recruit in the country and his school taking on the NCAA. They're much more straightforward now.
What's the punishment, and how will it affect the rest of this Memphis basketball season?
You can reach Commercial Appeal columnist Mark Giannotto via email at mgiannotto@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter: @mgiannotto