One week after leaving the University of Memphis to prepare for the 2020 NBA Draft, potential No. 1 overall pick James Wiseman hired Excel Sports on Friday to serve as his agents.
The move, first reported by ESPN and confirmed by Forbes, ends Wiseman’s NCAA eligibility.
On Dec. 19, the 7-foot-1 freshman center withdrew from Memphis in the middle of a 12-game NCAA suspension. The college governing body had ruled that he and his family received impermissible benefits.
The NCAA determined that Memphis coach Penny Hardaway — before he was hired by the university — provided $11,500 to help Wiseman and his family move from Nashville, Tenn., to Memphis in 2017.
The top overall recruit in the Class of 2019, Wiseman averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in three games with the Tigers.
Wiseman would have been eligible to return to the Memphis lineup on Jan. 12, but instead he is now free to start gearing up for the NBA draft, scheduled for June 25 at Barclays Center in New York.
Excel Sports’ basketball client list includes Kevin Love, Nikola Jokic, Blake Griffin, CJ McCollum, Hassan Whiteside and Andre Drummond, according to Forbes.