Former Memphis Tiger James Wiseman attends SCIAA Championship at White Station

Former Memphis Tigers center James Wiseman made an appearance at White Station to watch his alma mater East High play in the Class AAA SCIAA Championship game on Saturday.

The 7-foot-1 Wiseman, who left Memphis in December to prepare for this year’s NBA Draft, was there with his mother, Donzaleigh Artis. He was wearing a red longsleeve flannel shirt and a black hooded sweatshirt that said “Friends.”

He declined an interview request. 

Wiseman, who played two seasons at East, was the No. 1 player in the country in the Class of 2019, according to the 247Sports Composite.

But he played just three games for the Tigers, averaging 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and three blocks. The NCAA ruled that he was ineligible and ordered him to sit out 12 games because Artis accepted $11,500 for moving expenses in 2017 from Memphis coach Penny Hardaway, then the coach at East.

Wiseman announced on Dec. 19 he was withdrawing from Memphis to prepare for the NBA Draft.

Saturday's game was a rematch of last year's Class AAA County Championship game in which Wiseman led the Mustangs to victory. 

East was leading this year’s game at halftime but fell to Southwind 65-61.