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Ankle injury sidelines James Wiseman for Memphis exhibition

SLAM Summer Classic 2018

NEW YORK, NY - AUGUST 18: James Wiseman #23 of Team Ramsey warms up before the game against Team Stanley during the SLAM Summer Classic 2018 at Dyckman Park on August 18, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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The collegiate debut of a potential 2020 first-overall NBA draft pick and the centerpiece of Penny Hardaway’s blockbuster recruiting class at Memphis has been delayed.

James Wiseman, a 7-foot-1 freshman, will be sidelined Thursday night for the Tigers’ exhibition opener against against Christ Brothers University, according to the Daily Memphian. His status for Memphis’ second exhibition game next week is unknown.

It’s presumably a precautionary measure for Wiseman and the Tigers after mentioning at AAC media day that Wiseman was dealing with an ankle injury that wasn’t considered overly serious. The top-ranked recruit in 2019, Wiseman did not play in Memphis four games while on a foreign tour this summer due to a shoulder injury.

Wiseman is the headliner of Hardaway’s top-ranked recruiting class that has made Memphis an AAC frontrunner and one of the more interesting teams nationwide this season.