Tag: Mikey Williams

4-star recruit Mikey Williams completes transfer to UCF

Former four-star recruit Mikey Williams announced on Monday that he has completed his transfer to UCF after one year at Memphis.

Former four-star recruit Mikey Williams announced on Monday that he has completed his transfer to UCF after spending one year at the University of Memphis.

Williams, 20, entered the transfer portal in January and announced his commitment to head coach Johnny Dawkins and the Knights shortly after. He never appeared in a game at Memphis after spending most of his time with the program in legal trouble following his arrest in April 2023.

He faced nine felony charges after a group of people claimed he fired a weapon at their car in California. His felony criminal threats charge was reduced to a misdemeanor last week after he completed a plea agreement, which included 80 hours of community service.

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Williams was one of the top players in the country after a decorated high school career in California at San Ysidro and Lake Norman Christian. He became a viral sensation on social media for his basketball ability and boasts 3.4 million followers on Instagram.

The redshirt freshman averaged 23.8 points, 9.2 assists and 3.2 rebounds as a senior. He was the 39th-ranked player out of high school, according to 247Sports, and would have been the second-highest recruit had he committed straight to UCF.

Williams is one of five players transferring to UCF next season, joining Jordan Ivy-Curry (UTSA), JJ Taylor (Memphis), Keyshawn Hall (George Mason) and Benny Williams (Syracuse). The program also signed four-star center Moustapha Thiam.

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4-star recruit Mikey Williams commits to transfer from Memphis to UCF

Former four-star recruit Mikey Williams announced over the weekend that he will transfer to UCF after departing Memphis.

Former four-star recruit Mikey Williams announced on Instagram over the weekend that he will transfer to UCF after departing the University of Memphis.

Williams, 19, entered the transfer portal last week after initially committing to head coach Penny Hardaway. He never appeared in a game for the Tigers after spending most of his time with the program in legal trouble following his arrest in April.

He faced nine felony charges after a group of people claimed he fired a weapon at their car outside of his home. He pleaded guilty in November to a felony charge of making criminal threats, which will be dropped to a misdemeanor if he meets certain requirements.

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Williams was one of the top players in the country after a decorated high school career in California. He became a viral sensation on social media for his basketball ability and boasts 3.6 million followers on Instagram.

The 6-foot-3 guard arrived in Orlando this week and was on hand to watch the Knights host No. 18 BYU on Saturday. The program is trying to find a way to get him on the court this season, though will face a difficult time doing so with spring classes already underway.

Neither Williams nor Knights coach Johnny Dawkins could comment on the pending transfer as the program works to finalize the move, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

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Former Memphis commit Mikey Williams reportedly headed to UCF

Former Memphis commit and social media sensation Mikey Williams will join the Central Florida Knights after entering the NCAA transfer portal earlier this week.

Mikey Williams, a social media sensation and four-star point guard in the 2023 recruiting class, has reportedly committed to the Central Florida Knights just a few days after entering the transfer portal out of Memphis.

Williams committed to join Penny Hardaway and the Tigers back in November of 2022, but before his freshman season began he was charged with nine felony counts after a shooting near his California home.

No one was injured, and Williams ultimately plead guilty to one count of criminal threatening on Nov. 30, which could be reduced to a misdemeanor if he completes 80 hours of community service.

Williams had enrolled at Memphis and was taking online classes, but had not practiced with the team while his legal issues played out. Earlier this week Memphis confirmed he had entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

Williams is an exciting addition for a Knights team that is 23rd in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency at KenPom, but who have struggled offensively at times.

The 6’3 guard gained notoriety on Instagram early in his high school career for his explosive mixtapes, garnering over 3.5 million followers and initially having five-star status. Now he’ll look for a fresh start in Orlando with the Knights, who are coming off their first Big 12 win over the No. 3 ranked Kansas Jayhawks on Wednesday evening.

Memphis basketball recruit Mikey Williams facing felony gun charges

The top-rated recruit for the Tigers’ 2023 class was arrested Thursday following an incident in his hometown of San Diego.

Memphis basketball’s top signee from the class of 2023, Mikey Williams, was arrested Thursday on felony gun charges in his hometown of San Diego, California.

According to a report by CBS 8, the San Diego Sheriff’s Department confirmed that Williams was booked into the Central jail at approximately 3:30 p.m PT on five counts of assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm.

Per ESPN, the department’s lieutenant, Gavin Lanning, said that he will likely face one charge, which would be “assaulting someone with a firearm.” 

The charge carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in prison.

The details about the incident are still vague at this point, with little avail as to the motive behind the charges. According to the arrest reports, the assault began after multiple people left a residence following an argument. Shortly after, shots were fired, striking a vehicle with five people inside. The car was hit, but no injuries were sustained. 

After a search warrant was executed by law enforcement, Williams was arrested. He was released on $50,000 bail after midnight on Friday, and is due to appear in court on April 20.

No representation for Williams has commented on the arrest.

As expected, the news spread quickly about the unfortunate events surrounding the basketball star, who has millions of followers on social media and become a major name in the NIL space in 2021 as the first to sign on with a major rep— Excel Sports Management.

His valuations have been forecasted at over $3 million, which includes a deal with Puma—also a first—but much of that is now in an unknown as more details are revealed about the case.

The University of Memphis stated its “aware of the situation and is gathering more information.” 

The highly rated guard was slated to join a top 10 class for the Tigers and head coach Anfernee Hardaway.

Report: Mikey Williams facing charges of assault with a deadly weapon

Williams was reportedly arrested and charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon.

University of Memphis commit Mikey Williams was reportedly arrested and charged with five counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to KNSD-TV Channel 7 in San Diego, California.

Williams, 18, was arrested in Jamul and booked into the San Diego Central Jail around 3:30 p.m. PDT on Thursday. He was released early Friday morning on a bail of $50,000. The police department did not provide further details of the arrest.

The school released the following statement:

“We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information.”

Williams is listed as a four-star prospect and the 17th-ranked player in the class of 2023, according to 247Sports. He signed a letter of intent with the Tigers in November and committed to head coach Penny Hardaway over Arizona State, Kansas and USC among others.

He was considered one of the top players in the country after a decorated high school career. He signed a record endorsement contract with PUMA in October 2021, becoming the first high school player to sign with an apparel company.

Williams is scheduled to appear in court on April 20.

On3’s predicted highest-paid college athletes for the 2023 year

A look at On3’s top 10 predicted highest-paid NCAA student athletes for 2023.

Name, image and likeness has no doubt changed the lives of many NCAA student-athletes across the country. Continue reading “On3’s predicted highest-paid college athletes for the 2023 year”

PUMA signs five-star prospect Mikey Williams to endorsement deal

The 17-year-old will become the youngest basketball player to sign with PUMA.

Mikey Williams, the No. 14 prospect in the class of 2023, on Thursday signed a multiyear endorsement contract with PUMA, becoming the youngest basketball athlete to join the apparel company.

Williams, 17, signed with Excel Sports Management in July to pursue name, image and likeness endorsement and sponsorship opportunities. He was the first high school player to sign with an agency and is expected to make millions of dollars in sponsorship opportunities.

The five-star prospect boasts 3.3 million followers on Instagram, making him a prime candidate to sign with prospective companies and brands. He has emerged as one of the prominent figures in prep basketball and appears to be cashing in.

Williams will wear various PUMA styles including the Court Rider line and will be featured in an upcoming “Not Yet Rated” marketing promotion, which hints that his ceiling hasn’t yet been determined. He will also help create social content to help inspire youth athletes.

He joins a brand attempting to strengthen its place within the basketball market. PUMA has a growing roster of talented athletes including LaMelo Ball, Breanna Stewart, Deandre Ayton, Katie Lou Samuelson, RJ Barrett and more.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Five-star prospect Mikey Williams nearing endorsement deal with PUMA

Williams in July became the first high school player to sign with a sports agency to pursue NIL endorsement opportunities.

Mikey Williams, the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2023, is reportedly close to signing a shoe endorsement contract with PUMA, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Williams signed with Excel Sports Management in July to pursue name, image and likeness endorsement and sponsorship opportunities, becoming the first high school player to sign with an agency. He is expected to net millions of dollars in NIL opportunities.

The 17-year-old will join a brand attempting to strengthen its place within the basketball market. PUMA has signed the likes of Kyle Kuzma, LaMelo Ball, Marcus Smart, Michael Porter Jr. and several others in recent years in an attempt to compete with other brands.

Williams boasts 3.2 million followers on Instagram, making him a prime candidate to enter into sponsorship agreements with prospective companies and brands. He has emerged as one of the prominent figures in prep basketball and now appears to be cashing in.

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Williams last summer narrowed his college choices to 10 programs, including five historically Black colleges or universities. However, he has since re-opened his recruitment, though his father said he is still leaning toward an HBCU.

He could also opt to go the professional route, either to the NBA G League or Overtime Elite. But with the ability to now profit off of his NIL, it could enable Williams to follow through with his wish and attend an HBCU in two years.

Williams will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2024.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Mikey Williams signs with sports agency to pursue NIL opportunities

The deal is expected to net Williams, the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2023, millions of dollars.

Mikey Williams, the No. 2 prospect in the class of 2023, will sign with Excel Sports Management to pursue name, image and likeness endorsement and sponsorship opportunities.

The news was first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Williams will become the first high school star to sign with a major sports representation agency following the recent legislation that will allow players to profit off of their name, image and likeness. The deal is expected to net Williams “millions of dollars.”

The 17-year-old boasts 3.2 million followers on Instagram, making him a prime candidate to enter into sponsorship agreements with prospective companies and brands. He has emerged as one of the prominent figures in prep basketball and now has an opportunity to make a profit.

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Williams last summer narrowed his college choices down to 10 programs, which included five historically Black colleges or universities. However, he has since re-opened his recruitment but his father said he is still leaning toward an HBCU.

He could also opt to go the professional route, either to the NBA G League or Overtime Elite. But with the ability now to profit off of his NIL, it could enable Williams to follow through with his wish and still attend an HBCU in two years.

Regardless of what his future holds, Williams projects to benefit exponentially over the rest of his high school career and beyond with the ability to sign endorsement and sponsorship deals.

Williams will be eligible for the NBA draft in 2024.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Mikey Williams signs NIL contract with Excel Sports Management

High school basketball star Mikey Williams is preparing to cash in on his massive social media following.

Mikey Williams has long had a massive social media following tracking his journey as an elite high school basketball recruit.

Now, he is preparing to cash in on the brand that he has built for himself.

Williams signed with Excel Sports Management to handle his name, likeness and image rights on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

“The NIL rules provide a new opportunity for someone like me who has put in so much energy and effort into building a community,” Williams said in a statement issued to ESPN. “I am excited to be the first high school athlete to make this move. I love to hoop and I love engaging with my fans and look forward to continuing to share my journey with everyone.”

Williams won’t be eligible for the NBA draft for another couple of years, but is already one of the more recognizable figures in basketball. The California native has more than five million followers across multiple social media platforms and has appeared in countless Ballislife and Overtime videos, further raising his national profile.

“Mikey’s relevance around his peers in the basketball community is off the charts,” Excel Sports Management vice president Matt Davis told ESPN. “He’s one of the most relevant personalities in the basketball community. His digital and social following speak for themselves.”