The official OKC Thunder Big board 1.0
By Rylan Stiles
1) James Wiseman, C, Memphis
This selection will not surprise too many, Penny Hardaway has done a great job collecting talent for the Memphis Tigers, including the nation’s top prospect in my opinion. However, it was a close race between him and my number two (spoiler alert) Cole Anthony. That will be a race to watch from now until the June NBA Draft.
James Wiseman stands 7’1 and weighs in at 240 pounds. The big man is primed to be a difference-maker in the NBA. The likelihood of him leaving school after a year? 10 out of 10.
The 18-year-old will see big game action against the University of Georgia on Jan. 4th on CBS at noon. That is the lone game against a fellow top-60 player on the Tigers resume unless both the Tigers and Sooners advance in the Phil Knight Invitational.
Other games to watch include a pair of matchups against Witchita State (1/9/2020, 3/5/2020) as well as tilts with Tennessee (12/14/19), and Oregon (11/12/2019). While Witchita State does not have the top-end talent that some other prospects will have to face in their conference play, they are extremely well-coached under the direction of Gregg Marshall who always has his Shockers ready to play. Marshall is incredibly skilled at taking away a team’s best player. How Wiseman responds to that situation will be telling.
Wiseman was the top-rated player according to ESPN in the 2019 recruiting class and elected to stay home and play for the Tigers over joining the likes of Kansas, Kentucky, North Carolina or Arizona. The lefty post player earned a living with his length (7’4.5 wingspan) and athleticism. Despite his size, Wiseman can move incredibly well especially on the defensive end. Don’t be surprised if you see the 7’1 center stroke it from outside, either.
Despite all the amazing things he does on the floor, we will need to see him improve in two areas. Given his competition, there is no reason that Wiseman should ever lose a rebounding battle. He should be able to clean the glass at will, and that was not always the case in high school. Offensively, his face up package could use a serious overhaul, which is the case for many big men who only had to walk to the rim and dunk on folks in high school.
James Wiseman without question will be the most fun to watch in college basketball, with the only downside being his competition. These Tigers will be dangerous in March.
The ceiling for Wiseman is clear, the number one pick, the floor would only come with a disastrous season and I still think it would be a mid-lottery pick.