Mikey Williams (basketball, born 2004)

Michael Anthony Williams (born June 26, 2004) is an American basketball player committed to the Memphis Tigers of the American Athletic Conference. He has yet to participate in any team practices due to legal issues stemming from gun charges. He previously played for Vertical Academy, an extension of Lake Norman Christian High School, in North Carolina after originally attending

Not to be confused with Mikey Williams (basketball, born 1991) or Mike Williams (basketball).

Mikey Williams
Williams in April 2019
No. 1 – Memphis Tigers
PositionShooting guard / point guard
LeagueAmerican Athletic Conference
Personal information
Born (2004-06-26) June 26, 2004
San Diego, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeMemphis (2023–present)

Early life

Williams first held a basketball when he was 11 months old and grew up playing under the guidance of his father and mother.[1] In his childhood, he mainly played on an outdoor court in his apartment complex. In elementary school, Williams was often involved in fights with bullies.[2] He worked as a ball boy for San Ysidro High School head coach Terry Tucker, who said that "he couldn't keep (Williams) out of the gym."[3] In sixth grade while playing with the San Diego Sharks, Williams had his first official game dunk at 12 years old (April 15, 2017).[4] He went on to play for the Malcolm Thomas All-Stars travel team.[1] In seventh and eighth grades, he was ranked the number one player in the 2023 class by the Naismith National Youth All-American Report.[1][5] In eighth grade, Williams joined the North Coast Blue Chips Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) team, where he rose to fame while playing alongside Bronny James the son of basketball player LeBron James.[2] In 2019, he played for the Compton Magic on the AAU circuit.[6]

High school career

As a freshman, Williams played for San Ysidro High School in San Diego.[7] On November 20, 2019, he made his high school debut, recording 41 points, five rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 98–46 win over El Cajon Valley High School.[8] In his next game, an 85–77 victory over Mission Bay High School, Williams scored 50 points.[9] On December 13, he scored a career-high 77 points, making nine three-pointers, in a 116–52 win over Kearny High School. He broke the CIF San Diego Section (CIF-SDS) single-game scoring record, previously held by Tyrone Shelley since 2005, and set the state freshman record for single-game scoring.[10] On January 10, 2020, Williams recorded 35 points in a 103–71 loss to top 2020 recruit Evan Mobley and Rancho Christian School, one of the best high school teams in the country.[11] He led San Ysidro to the CIF-SDS Division III title on February 27.[12] As a freshman, Williams averaged 29.9 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game and was named MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.[13]

Entering his sophomore season, Williams transferred to Lake Norman Christian School in Huntersville, North Carolina.[14]

On April 9, 2022, Williams announced that he would return home to San Diego and play for his original high school, San Ysidro High School, for his senior year.[15]

Recruiting

Williams is considered a four-star recruit in the 2023 class by 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. He received offers from many NCAA Division I programs, including Arizona and Arizona State, before starting his high school career.[16] In June 2020, Williams was offered basketball scholarships by several historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) after showing interest in playing for an HBCU on social media.[17]

On November 5, 2022, Williams committed to play for the University of Memphis for head coach Penny Hardaway, starting in 2023–24.[18]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Mikey Williams
PG		 San Diego, CA Lake Norman Christian (NC) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 185 lb (84 kg) — 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports:4/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 86
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 31  247Sports: 17  ESPN: 46
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "2023 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 20, 2021.

Personal life

Williams' father, Mahlon, played basketball for Sweetwater High School, where he was an All-CIF-SDS selection. His mother, Charisse, played softball for Kearny High School and Hampton University.[3]

April 2023 arrest

On April 13, 2023, Williams was arrested in Jamul, California, on five charges of assault with a deadly weapon; he was released on $50,000 bail the following day.[19][20] San Diego County Sheriff's Department's Lieutenant Gavin Lanning said Williams is likely to face only one charge, carrying a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison (minimum 6 months).[21] On April 14, 2023, the University of Memphis released a statement saying, "We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information." On April 20, 2023, Williams pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of assault with a deadly weapon. Due to security concerns, his attorney said the court appearance was virtual. Williams is accused of violating California penal code Chapter 9, Section 245(a)(2), which involves "any person who commits an assault upon the person of another with a firearm." According to police, Williams fired a gun at a car full of people following an altercation at his residence. Each count can carry up to four years in prison.[22] Williams was initially required to appear either in-person or virtually on June 29, 2023, for a preliminary hearing, but the hearing was subsequently re-scheduled to July 12, 2023 after his legal team told a judge they needed more time after receiving additional information regarding the incident.[23][24] On July 6, 2023 his hearing was postponed for a second time in less than a month, with a new hearing date scheduled for September 5, 2023.[25]

On September 5, 2023, the hearing was postponed for a third time, until October 10, 2023.[26] As a result of the hearing, Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor ordered Williams to stand trial on six felony gun charges and scheduled his arraignment for October 24, 2023. Judge Thompson-Taylor denied the prosecution's request to increase Williams' bail to $500,000 and allowed Williams to remain free on a $50,000 bond.[27][28]

Social media and endorsements

Williams has established a large social media following. He had over one million Instagram followers before starting high school.[29] By the end of his freshman year of high school, he had almost 2 million followers on Instagram, including musician Drake and NBA players LeBron James and Kevin Durant.[30][31] Williams had accumulated 3.2 million followers on Instagram by the end of his sophomore year in high school.

On July 22, 2021, Williams signed a contract with Excel Sports Management to pursue Name, Image and Likeness endorsement opportunities.[32]

On October 28, 2021, Williams signed a multi-year endorsement deal with Puma, making him the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company, at 17 years old.[33]

Notes

    References
    1. Strain, Todd (May 3, 2018). "Seventh Grade Hooper Mikey Williams Owns Top Spot in National Rankings". KNSD. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
    2. Pierno, Ian (June 6, 2019). "Mikey Williams Is Coming for the League". Slam. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
    3. Brand, Steve (August 10, 2019). "San Ysidro High freshman Mikey Williams draws national focus". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved September 21, 2019.
    4. Malu, Selina (November 5, 2021). "Mikey Williams". The Blueprint. Retrieved August 16, 2022.
    5. Newman, Logan (September 30, 2018). "Mikey Williams, an eighth grader, just threw down a windmill dunk". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
    6. "Mikey Williams Makes AAU Debut with Compton Magic!". Slam. April 1, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    7. "Meet Mikey Williams, the top-ranked eighth grade basketball player in the country!". KUSI-TV. May 9, 2019. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
    8. "Mikey Williams Scores 41 in High School Debut". KNSD. November 21, 2019. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    9. Smith, Cam (November 25, 2019). "Mikey Williams levels up, scores 50 in second game while". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    10. Tennis, Mark (December 14, 2019). "Mikey Williams: Freshman hits for 77". CalHiSports. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    11. Maffei, John (January 10, 2020). "National power schools San Ysidro". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    12. "High school basketball freshman phenom Mikey Williams helps San Ysidro win first section title". MaxPreps. February 27, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    13. Divens, Jordan (April 3, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 Boys Basketball Freshman All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    14. Wertz, Langston Jr. (September 21, 2020). "One of the nation's top prep basketball players is moving from California to Charlotte". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved September 21, 2020.
    15. De Silva, Bodie (April 9, 2022). "5-star guard Mikey Williams will return to San Ysidro High School for senior season". news.scorebooklive.com. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
    16. Bossi, Eric (August 25, 2019). "2023 Intro: High flyer Mikey Williams". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 22, 2019.
    17. Eisenberg, Jeff; Peek, Krysten (June 4, 2020). "Why Mikey Williams is considering an HBCU, a move that could shake up college basketball". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    18. Zeigler, Mark (November 5, 2022). "San Ysidro High basketball star Mikey Williams announces his college commitment". The San Diego Union-Tribune. San Diego, California. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
    19. Zeigler, Mark (April 14, 2023). "Man matching local basketball star Mikey Williams' description arrested on gun charges". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
    20. Polacek, Scott (April 14, 2023). "Memphis Commit Mikey Williams Arrested, Facing Charges of Assault with Deadly Weapon". Bleacher Report. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
    21. Borzello, Jeff and Medcalf, Myron (April 14, 2023). "Memphis basketball recruit Mikey Williams faces gun charge". ESPN. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
    22. Medcalf, Myron (April 20, 2023). "Memphis recruit Mikey Williams pleads not guilty in shooting case". ESPN. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
    23. "Superstar San Diego Basketball Prospect Mikey Williams Enters Plea on Felony Firearm Charges". NBC 7 San Diego. April 20, 2023. Retrieved April 20, 2023.
    24. Braxton, Avery (June 15, 2023). "Tigers top recruit Mikey Williams' gun charge hearing postponed". ABC24 Memphis. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
    25. Munz, Jason (July 7, 2023). "Memphis basketball: Mikey Williams' preliminary hearing postponed until September". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
    26. Vessels, Chandler (September 5, 2023). "Mikey Williams' preliminary gun charges hearing again postponed". On3. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
    27. "Memphis' Mikey Williams ordered to stand trial on gun charges". ESPN. October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
    28. Boone, Kyle (October 11, 2023). "Memphis guard Mikey Williams ordered to stand trial as prized recruit faces six felony gun charges". CBS Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
    29. Daniels, Evan (January 30, 2020). "Mikey Williams has the game to match his immense fame". 247Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    30. Evans, Corey; Peek, Krysten (May 22, 2020). "How Bronny James, Mikey Williams emerged as faces of basketball's next generation". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    31. Williams, Mikey (June 5, 2020). "New Mikey Williams Blog: New offers, Workouts with Bronny, 3.8 GPA and More". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
    32. Taylor, Cody (July 22, 2021). "Mikey Williams signs with sports agency to pursue NIL opportunities". usatoday.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
    33. DePaula, Nick (October 28, 2021). "Mikey Williams, 17, signs historic footwear and apparel deal with Puma". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
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