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As we are in the heart of March Madness, James Wiseman was just named the Gatorade National Basketball Player of the Year.
Why does this matter to the BBN?
We all remember that the Kentucky Wildcats were the clear frontrunner for a very long time. That is, until Penny Hardaway (Wiseman’s AAU coach) was hired by the Memphis Tigers last year. From there, things started to spiral out of control during Wiseman’s recruitment.
There was definitely a lot of worried UK fans when this happened, and sure enough, Memphis was able to grab the five-star forward this past fall.
Wiseman is one of the most highly-touted recruits in the country for the 2019 class, as he is ranked No. 1 overall by 247 and No. 3 overall by Rivals.
Kentucky fans also remember that the Cats had already secured a four-star recruit in D.J. Jeffries for 2019 way before any of this happened. But Jeffries, who played AAU ball with James and Penny, decided to decommit from the Cats last July, and things got a tad controversial. He ultimately signed with Memphis.
So, what does all of this mean?
Apparently, Wiseman believes Memphis will play Kentucky next season, as reported by Rivals.
One game that is sure to be circled on the calendar is the Kentucky game, and Wiseman said both he and D.J. Jeffries are looking forward to that matchup.
”That game is going to be fun. It’s going to be high energy, a great battle with good players, and both D.J. and I can’t wait,” Wiseman said. “We’re definitely looking forward to that game for sure.”
It’s no secret that Penny is working to get Kentucky on the schedule. Supposedly, Penny and Calipari agreed to set up a game once Penny got a head-coaching gig. There’s no question it would be a hyped up game full of storylines.
Losing Jeffries was tough, but losing James was even tougher, and now it appears Kentucky will face them next season.
Kentucky’s 2019 recruiting class still eventually came together, as they now have Keion Brooks, Tyrese Maxey, Kahlil Whitney and Dontaie Allen set to join the Cats next season. They’re also still in the mix for Jaden McDaniels, Isaiah Todd, N’Faly Dante and Mathew Hurt for next season.
That, along with the return of E.J. Montgomery, Immanuel Quickley, Nick Richards, Jemarl Baker and potentially Ashton Hagans would set up a blockbuster match between two very talented squads next season.