The 2021 recruiting class has gotten slightly smaller because the NCAA has made some academic changes for athletes due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Moussa Cisse took advantage of this change and has reclassified to the 2020 class to speed up his path to the NBA. Cisse then needed to decide where he wanted to play for his likely single season of college basketball. Head Coach Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers lured the center away from the early favorites, the LSU Tigers. Memphis continues to be a recruiting powerhouse.
Moussa Cisse stands at 6’11”+ w/a 7’4”wingspan
& a 9’4” standing reach!
He impacts the game with his high-end athletic ability, finishing & shot blocking talent. @moussacisse224 finished at no.24 in the Espn 100, class of 2020. @Memphis_MBB bound! @tedemrich @S10Bird @WhosNextHS pic.twitter.com/Y7OCG18aqk— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) July 15, 2020
Moussa Cisse’s main goal is to get to the NBA and the reclassification gets him there an entire year earlier than he expected. There is little doubt that he should have the talent to elevate Memphis in the coming season. The Tigers had some issues last year including a serious lack of experience on the roster. This year the team should have a good mix of experience and talent. Cisse provides a presence down low that the Tigers may have been lacking without his commitment to the team. It is important to note that LSU’s frontcourt is projected to be more crowded this upcoming season.
There are still several questions surrounding the season and how COVID-19 will impact the 2020-21 NCAA season. The one clear answer seems to be that regardless we will see Moussa Cisse in the 2021 NBA Draft. Several players have decided to forgo college basketball altogether, so at least fans will get to see him play for a year. Cisse should help Memphis continue to rebuild its program with Penny Hardaway.
