NCAA Basketball finalist for Moussa Cisse – Memphis Tigers
There’s a lot to love about Memphis and the possibility of Cisse joining the program. Penny Hardaway has begun rebuilding his alma mater and scored a huge recruiting class last year. Hardaway was the reason he made the move from New York to Lausanne to continue his high school career and the two have a very close relationship. Precious Achiuwa is one of Cisse’s closest friends and he has been watching how Achiuwa’s career has unfolded with the program.
Aside from the off-court ties and the immense amount of trust Cisse has in the program to further his basketball career, the offensive scheme utilized by Penny perfectly fits the big man’s talents. The Tigers get up and down the floor a lot, shoot the ball without regard for the shot clock and share the ball all over the court. Although James Wiseman didn’t get more than a couple games in a Memphis uniform prior to the investigation involving eligibility, his mobility and on-court talents are mirrored a lot by Cisse.
The latter does not shoot the ball nearly as well as Wiseman, nor does he have as refined of a post-game at this point in his development, but there is plenty of opportunities for Cisse to thrive here. Penny and assistant/shooting savant Mike Miller will undoubtedly be able to work with the big man on extending his range on a consistent basis, as well as providing some tips and tricks to make him a more effective big in a half-court setting.
Guards Boogie Ellis, Lester Quinones and Alex Lomax, like Sahvir Wheeler at Georgia, will greatly increase Cisse’s effectiveness for looks at the rim and in pick-and-pop situations. Cisse would undoubtedly be a priority on the offensive end for Penny and much like Wiseman defensively would anchor the interior of the defense for this team.
Having that safety net in the middle would vastly elevate the Tiger’s outlook next season, especially if transfers Landers Nolley (Virginia Tech) and Deandre Williams (Evansville) receive eligibility waivers from the NCAA.