Prep basketball star Mikey Williams will leave Memphis and enter NCAA transfer portal
A year ago, Mikey Williams was a social media superstar and one of the most coveted basketball recruits in the country. Now he’s looking for a new place to play.
Williams’ father, Mahlon, confirmed to a Tennessee newspaper this week that his son will enter the transfer portal before playing a single minute of college basketball.
Williams committed to Memphis and head coach Anfernee Hardaway, but Williams’ collegiate hoops career has been delayed by legal issues. Williams was arrested in April for allegedly firing a gun into a vehicle that had five passengers inside it after an argument at his Jamul home. Facing multiple felony gun charges, he reached a plea agreement in November to avoid prison time.
Part of that plea includes attending cognitive behavioral therapy, gun safety and anger management classes, and completing 80 hours of community service. He is also forbidden from owning a firearm. If he fulfills the terms of the plea and avoids any new violations by his next court date in August 2024, the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor.
In the interim, Williams enrolled at Memphis and began online classes but the basketball program will not allow him to practice or play in games until the legal process has run its course.
His father said Williams entering the transfer portal, which allows players to join another school’s team without losing eligibility, is a way to get a fresh start. It will be next season before Williams will be able to play for another team via the portal.
Joining him in the portal is San Ysidro HS and Memphis teammate JJ Taylor. He went with Williams to Memphis in what was viewed as a recruiting “package deal,” and it’s believed that will be the case with any school that wants to bring Williams to their program. Taylor, a 6′ 8″ forward, hasn’t played in a game for the Tigers since mid-December after being suspended for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Williams, 19, signed a Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal with Puma in 2021, making him the first high school athlete to sign with a global footwear company. That deal was terminated after the April arrest but he still has several million followers on Instagram and TikTok. His August court appearance will likely be wrapped up before most universities begin their Fall semesters so it’s expected that he will land with another major program for the 2024-25 season.
