SAN DIEGO – Mikey Williams, whose college basketball career has been delayed by gun charges, has committed to the University of Central Florida just days after leaving the Memphis program.
The former star from San Diego's San Ysidro High, who was one of the earliest stars of the name, image and likeness era, made the announcement via Instagram and one of his attorneys, Randy M. Grossman, confirmed the decision.
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Williams announced Monday he was entering the transfer portal after never having played for Memphis. Williams had been enrolled in online classes at Memphis and was on the roster but didn’t have access to team facilities or activities while his legal case played out in a suburban San Diego courtroom.
Williams pleaded guilty to one felony gun charge on Nov. 30 and Grossman said then that the 19-year-old is not expected to face jail time.
“Mikey has been focused on completing the tasks that were part of the plea agreement and working hard on the basketball court to be the best player he can be,” Grossman said Saturday.
Williams had faced nine felony counts and up to 30 years in prison after a shooting at his home on March 17 in which no one was injured. In a deal with prosecutors, Williams pleaded guilty to one felony count of making a criminal threat and to a special allegation of using a firearm during the threat.
In exchange, the other eight counts were dismissed and Williams was ordered to complete a gun safety course, attend anger management sessions and complete 80 hours of community service. Sentencing has been set for Aug. 12 in San Diego County Superior Court, where the charge would be reduced to a misdemeanor if Williams follows terms of the deal and avoids any criminal offenses.
Williams was one of the earliest stars in the NIL era, securing a multiyear deal with shoe and athletic apparel maker Puma for an undisclosed amount in 2021. Puma ended its relationship with Williams in 2023. On3.com once estimated his NIL valuation at $3.6 million, but Williams’ name no longer appears in the rankings.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball