MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The James Wiseman saga has provided another day of twists and turns, with the talented freshman withdrawing his lawsuit against the NCAA.
But there’s a chance that this short-term suspension could lead to his long-term return to the court, and Tiger fans are optimistic moving forward.
Wiseman has become one of the most captivating, talked-about college basketball players in the last decade, but he would prefer to blend in as another talented tiger.
“This weighs heavily on Wiseman,” said Randy Fishman, one of Wiseman’s attorneys. “He’s a fine young man, exemplary student. He has a concern, he doesn’t want to cause a problem for the school or his teammates.”
Citing concerns that he has become an “impediment” to the university, Wiseman’s legal team withdrew their lawsuit against the NCAA Thursday morning. In response, the school released a statement declaring Wiseman ineligible, but adding that they will apply for his reinstatement immediately.
He won’t be allowed to play in regular season games while he’s ineligible, but he will be allowed to work out every day, at the University of Memphis practice facility with teammates and coaches and improve his game before the 2020 nba draft.
The most crucial statement made Thursday might be the final paragraph released by the university, saying in part that they are “confident, that the NCAA will render a fair and equitable decision.”
It’s a far cry from their defiant stance less than a week ago, when they played Wiseman in a regular season game despite his being ruled ineligible. It allows hope that maybe, this one-of-a-kind scenario could have a happy ending for the Tigers.
“It’s a whole conundrum of facts and issues that make this case unusual and sort of, they don’t fit in the little square box where you can say one and one equals two,” Fishman said.
The Tigers take on Alcorn State on Saturday.
