On Friday the NCAA ruled Memphis’ high profile freshman and potential 2020 No.1 overall NBA Draft pick ineligible because according to a statement released by the University current head coach, Penny Hardaway, gave ole boy’s family $11,500 in moving expenses to help them move to Memphis, Tennessee, without the player’s knowledge. The NCAA ruled that Hardaway, a Memphis alum, was considered a booster at the time, according to Wiseman’s attorney, Leslie Ballin.
Side Note: regardless or whether he was considered a booster or the freakin’ head coach it would have been against the NCAA rules at this point.
However, despite being ruled ineligible by the NCAA, a Shelby County judge halted the NCAA’s ruling for the time being and Wiseman played on Friday night in a waste of a time win over Illinois-Chicago.
Now let’s keep it real or all the way 100, whichever comes 1st! Regardless of how we all feel about the NCAA and it’s antiquated slave mentality rules. The rules are the rules, at least for the time being. If they’ve ruled ole boy ineligible to play because Penny got caught breaking the rules it is what it is.
Therefore, it makes no sense to put the entire program in jeopardy by playing him on Friday night. If the ruling comes back that he’s found to be ineligible then every game that Wiseman has played in will be forfeited and they won’t be allowed to play in the NCAA Tournament as well.
Wiseman doesn’t care one way or the other because he’s going to be the No.1 pick in the draft regardless. The only people that are in jeopardy here are the rest of the players at Memphis and Penny. Wiseman and his family are chillin’!
So my point is, Memphis is so desperate to be relevant that they’ve pushed all of the marbles to the middle of the table with the mortgage too.
What I wanna know is how did the information get out if the player knew nothing about the transaction? Who told it? If Penny gave his family bread to move how does the world find out with certainty that it was $11,500 unless Penny told it which he wouldn’t have or his family told it. I’m just saying.
Ninety percent of foolishness can be avoided if folks just shut up. People make back room deals everyday in this country. I don’t see why college basketball would be any different.
Now that Penny and Co. have been exposed it makes no sense to keep playing the kid and ruin the rest of the team’s opportunity to get to the NCAA Tournament to compete for a national title because EVERYBODY isn’t going to the NBA in June. Stop me when I start lyin’!