James Wiseman was going to legitimize college basketball in Memphis.
The seven-footer, ranked the number one high-school recruit by ESPN for the 2019 class, had accepted new coach Penny Hardaway’s offer to be a Tiger.
Expectations for Memphis shot up. They escalated even further after Wiseman’s 28 and 11 debut against South Carolina where Wiseman added in three blocks and two assists for good measure.
Two games later it was all over as Wiseman was ruled ineligible because Hardaway (as a booster), had given the Wiseman family $11,500 to help them move from Nashville to Memphis.