Years after the investigation first began into his program, Memphis Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway can finally breathe a little easier.
That’s because the NCAA’s long-running look into his program is finally over and the punishments have been handed down.
Earlier this week, Memphis was charged with committing multiple Level II and Level III NCAA violations. It’s a relief for the entire program as any serious penalties, including a suspension for Penny and/or a postseason ban for the team, were avoided.
Instead, Memphis was fined $5,000, hit with three years probation and the team will have to vacate two wins from the 2019-20 season. Those two games are ones that former star center, James Wiseman, played in.
“We have finally arrived at the end of an extremely challenging period, and I could not be more grateful,” said Hardaway in a statement. “I would like to thank our players and their families, as well as our coaches and our support staff, for continuing to focus on what we could control as this process lingered.
“Believe me, none of this was easy, but this group always had faith.”
The crux of the investigation revolved around Wiseman.
The former Tigers center played in two additional games that season before being told to sit out for the next 11 games. Ultimately, he withdrew from school and prepared for the NBA Draft.
Wiseman played in two more games for the Tigers that season before being ordered to sit out the next 11 contests. Wiseman then avoided any additional suspension by withdrawing from school and preparing for the NBA Draft.
Ultimately, he was selected by the Warriors with the second overall pick in 2020.
The case originally focused on an $11,500 payment Hardaway made to Wiseman’s mother in 2017 while he was the coach of Memphis East High School. But it morphed into an investigation into Hardaway, his basketball program, Memphis’ entire athletic department, the school’s compliance staff and even former university President, M. David Rudd.
Per the IARP release (Independent Accountability Resolution Process):
“The hearing panel concluded that the head coach’s philanthropic involvement in the Memphis community began prior to becoming an athletics booster in 2008 and before he was hired by Memphis as its head coach in 2018. The case decision references numerous gifts and financial assistance provided by the head coach to many members of the Memphis community from the time he entered the NBA until he became Memphis’ head coach, including assistance provided either directly or to the families of three former prospective student-athletes who enrolled at Memphis and participated in men’s basketball.
“Based on the case record and information developed at the hearing, the hearing panel found that the benefits provided by the head coach to the three prospective student-athletes were not recruiting inducements.“
So while the investigation noted that Hardaway’s philanthropic efforts in Memphis occurred before he became the head coach at his college Alma mater, it did find Memphis guilty of four Level II violations and five Level III violations.
Those violations include actions such as allowing Wiseman to play despite knowing he was ineligible and failing to monitor the activities of a booster.
Now, almost three years after the investigation first started, Hardaway and the Tigers can turn their attention to playing basketball without the fear of severe punishment looming overhead.
