Mikey Williams never played at Memphis after he was arrested in Southern California last year. (Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
Mikey Williams won’t play for Memphis after all.
The basketball phenom and social media sensation entered the transfer portal on Monday, Memphis confirmed. The Tigers were in the process of clearing Williams and getting him to join the program when he opted to transfer, the school said.
Memphis has released the following statement on Mikey Williams.
“The University process for him to join the men’s basketball program was underway, but Williams elected to explore his options at this time.” pic.twitter.com/2dAzFXlmRC
— Parth Upadhyaya (@pupadhyaya_) January 8, 2024
Williams was one of the best prospects in the 2023 class, but he never made it to Memphis. He was arrested early last year after a shooting outside of his San Diego-area home. A group of visitors showed up at his home one night in March, and Williams allegedly threatened to shoot them. He then allegedly shot their vehicle multiple times as they drove away, though all six occupants of the vehicle were unharmed.
Williams initially faced nine felony charges that carried a penalty of up to 30 years in prison, but he pleaded guilty in November to a single felony count of making a criminal threat. That plea deal required that Williams complete 80 hours of community service and attend cognitive behavior therapy, gun safety and anger management classes. Once completed, Williams can have the felony charge reduced to a misdemeanor.
Williams was a four-star Rivals.com recruit out of high school, and he had offers from Arizona, Kansas, Oregon, Tennessee, UCLA and USC, among others, before he committed to Memphis. He quickly became a social media sensation in high school and signed a massive endorsement deal with Puma. He was even in an NBA 2K22 commercial.
Williams did not practice or play with the Tigers this season amid his legal troubles. He enrolled in online classes but did not have access to team facilities or activities. It’s unclear where Williams will attempt to transfer to or when he might make his college debut.
No. 13 Memphis started the season 13-2 without Williams. The Tigers have won eight straight games headed into Wednesday’s game against UTSA.
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