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Welcome to this week’s Tigers Basketball Insider. Below you’ll find the latest news and analysis from The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya, John Martin, Tim Buckley and Geoff Calkins.
James Wiseman hasn’t had it easy the past few years.
The once-five-star recruit and 7-foot center played just three games at Memphis as a freshman in 2019 before withdrawing to focus on the NBA Draft after being ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Then, he tore his right meniscus five months after being selected No. 2 overall by Golden State in the 2020 draft and missed the entire 2021-22 season.
And, then, when finally healthy this season, the Warriors sent Wiseman to the G League to develop. He was deemed a bust by many.
But now, the East High product might be finding his groove after being traded to Detroit earlier this month.
Wiseman scored 23 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Pistons’ loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Monday. It marked just the fourth time in his pro career (64 games played) that he’d cracked the 20-point mark.
“I’m just blessed to be out there,” Wiseman told reporters at Pistons’ shootaround Monday. “I’ve been through a lot. My first couple years in the league, I’ve been through a lot of hard times. Just being out here playing again, I’m appreciative for it. I’m just blessed.
“I’m just blessed that God gave me the opportunity to play basketball again.”
Wiseman, who’s now teammates with another former Tiger in Jalen Duren, should see consistent playing time with the rebuilding Pistons.
Wiseman is averaging 7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per game this season.
“He is a big-time lob threat — unbelievable lob threat,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey told reporters earlier this week. “Long rim protector. Playing for a champion (in Golden State), they couldn’t allow him to make the mistakes we’re allowing Duren to make right now. He didn’t have a real opportunity in real time as much as he wanted at Golden State.”
Wiseman still has all the raw athletic ability and tools that many predicted would make him an NBA franchise cornerstone.
But he’s taking things one day at a time. When reporters asked about his goals for the final few months of the season, he kept it simple.
“Just develop and grow,” he said.
More from your Insider:
When Memphis pulled out a close win over Cincinnati at FedExForum on Sunday, it marked another step toward securing what Kendric Davis has wanted all along: a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Penny Hardaway texted Kendric Davis prior to Sunday’s game. After the win over Cincinnati, Davis and the Tigers are one step closer to the subject of that text.
NCAA men’s basketball box score for the Sunday, Feb. 26, game between the Memphis Tigers and Cincinnati Bearcats played at FedExForum in Memphis.
The redshirt freshman sank a 3-pointer that gave the Tigers a five-point lead late in their 83-78 win over Wichita State.
The Memphis Tigers are battered, weary — and now they’re missing a key player who broke his hand punching a door. So how do they keep winning games? By any means necessary. On a Memphis team that richly deserves a trip to the NCAAs.
The University of Memphis Tigers defeated the Wichita State Shockers at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kansas.
Memphis’ leading scorer has been out with an ankle injury.
The Tigers’ third-leading scorer was injured in an off-court incident.
Overall, Hardaway — the favorite son of Memphis and program legend — is doing a solid job as the coach at Memphis.
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