Top247 has new No. 1 basketball prospect in Class of 2019

Video: James Wiseman highlights
See the Memphis East star in action at City of Palms Classic last month.

There is a new No. 1 in the Top247 Class of 2019 basketball rankings.

James Wiseman of Memphis East (Memphis, Tenn.), a 6-foot-11 center, has been pegged as the top junior prospect in the country by 247Sports.

"I think he has a tremendous amount of upside," 247Sports recruiting analyst Evan Daniels said. "I think he's a future really good NBA player one day. That's why we think he is the No. 1 player in the 2019 class, because he has the most upside potential."

Wiseman transferred from Ensworth (Nashville) to Memphis East over the summer. The move resulted in some legal wrangling over his eligibility before eventually being cleared to play for head coach Penny Hardaway's nationally-ranked Mustangs.



The five-star center also helped USA Basketball win a gold medal in June at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship, averaging 11.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.

Former No. 1 Vernon Carey Jr. of University (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) didn't fall too far, landing at No. 2. The 6-9, 245-pound power forward is having a monster junior campaign for another nationally-ranked team, highlighted by a tournament win at the City of Palms Classic.

The fastest riser in the updated rankings was 6-6 wing Jalen Wilson of Guyer (Denton, Texas), who jumped 40 spots to No. 15.