Potential top NBA pick, James Wiseman walks away from Memphis and the NCAA to prepare for professional hoops.

The NCAA suffered a big blow recently with the departure of one of the top players in the country, James Wiseman. Wiseman was in the midst of a 12 game suspension by the NCAA, who determined that he and his family received $11,500 to help them relocate to Memphis from Penny Hardaway, who went on to become the head coach for Memphis.

Memphis disputed the suspension, which allowed Wiseman to play out three games total before finally hanging it up for a lengthy stretch. With a simple, but effective way to get back, Wiseman stepped away from college hoops.

Already expected to be a one-and-done player, Wiseman is now strictly focused on preparation for the NBA draft. He will likely be a top-five selection, if not number one overall.

Wiseman undoubtedly had reservations about leaving coach Hardaway and his Memphis teammates high and dry. However, he has a lucrative professional career to care about. There is little doubt that Wiseman will go on to make great money in his field, so it is understandable that he would have little interest in producing additional revenue for an organization that is not willing to pay him one penny for doing so.

The NCAA has been issued a wake-up call from a prominent one-and-done player. Zion Williamson was injured last season but came back to play later. How damaged would the NCAA have been had Williamson decided to hang it up? Would the knock on his camaraderie have held him back in the NBA draft? (Answers: very damaged and nah)

Many top draft prospects are playing overseas and likely more will go the way of Wiseman in the future. In the next two years, we will likely see reform, possibly opening up the NBA draft to 18-year-old high school grads once again.

The NCAA must seek out ways to remain relevant in basketball’s changing landscape. Most players are currently less interested in the G-League route or playing overseas than going to college, but that may change in a hurry, especially with the NBA sweetening the G-League deal all the time.

The obvious solution is to provide some compensation for the players that work so hard and generate revenue for their universities and the NCAA. A paid-for college education is great, but it isn’t for everyone and doesn’t allow players to use their skills to put their families in better situations.

(Reminder that this article is written by Wil Harrington and may not reflect all the views of The Basketball Movement!)

The coming years will hopefully see solutions to the NCAA and players’ issues that will benefit all involved, whatever those may be. Either way, The Basketball Movement will be here letting you know what’s up. We wish the best of luck to James Wiseman on his journey. The future is bright!