Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman was in the center of much controversy back in late 2019 when he was deemed ineligible by the NCAA to play for the Memphis Tigers after head coach Penny Hardaway was found guilty of paying Wiseman's family $11,500 back in 2017 to incentive them to move from Nashville to Memphis.

Almost three years after Wiseman was suspended by the NCAA, causing the premature end of his collegiate career, Hardaway and the Tigers are set to receive punishment from the Independent Accountability Resolutions Process (IARP). But it appears to be a mere slap on the wrist.

Per Bleacher Report, Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers have been placed on probation for three years and were fined $5,000 for their Level II and Level III infractions, which would cause them to breathe a sigh of relief after being initially charged with four Level I violations.

CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander posted the major details of the punishment the IARP levied towards the Memphis Tigers basketball program on his Twitter account:

In addition to the aforementioned punishments, Hardaway will also be forced to vacate the three wins the Tigers earned during Wiseman's stint with the team. The full IARP ruling can be seen below:

 

A temporary lawsuit filed by James Wiseman allowed him to play three games for the Tigers' collegiate program before he was suspended 12 games by the NCAA, which prompted him to leave the program and begin training independently for the NBA Draft in 2020. The Warriors rewarded the tantalizing prospect by selecting him 2nd overall in the 2020 NBA Draft, ahead of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets, after Wiseman averaged an impressive 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in his short-lived collegiate career.

There might still be a possibility, however, that the NCAA Committee on Infractions steps in and doles out harsher punishment. For now however, Penny Hardaway will be very relieved to see that not only won't he be suspended, the Tigers also avoided a postseason ban. Tigers fans will be happy to finally put this saga behind them, and with Hardaway set to coach the team until 2026, he could now put his utmost focus on taking the Tigers to the promised land.