A Superior Court judge has ordered University of Memphis freshman guard Mikey Williams to stand trial on six felony gun charges. Given the nature of the charges and the potential punishment, Williams’ hoops future is in serious jeopardy.
Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor scheduled Williams’ arraignment for Oct. 24, and denied the prosecution’s request to increase Williams’ bond to $500,000. Williams has been free on a $50,000 bond since his arrest on April 13th.
Williams Faces Six Charges
He faces five charges of assault with a weapon and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle. Williams pleaded not guilty at a hearing in April. According to police, he allegedly fired a gun at a car full of people who had just left his home in San Diego. If convicted, he could be sentenced to up to 28 years in prison.
Williams is a social media hoops star and was a five-star prospect. His YouTube mixtapes were legendary. He boasted millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok and was one of the NIL superstars. He’s since deleted his social media accounts and lost many of his sponsors.
He is currently enrolled in online classes at Memphis and is listed on the team’s basketball roster, but he does not have access to team facilities or activities. That will remain the case “until the pending legal process is complete.”
“The process to assess and determine his status with the team will be initiated at that time,” the school said.
Nobody was hurt in the shooting, and that might be the factor that doesn’t ruin Williams’ life. But either way this isn’t a good look.
Williams Not Set Up For Success
Between social media fame, NIL money and lack of structure, there were so many pitfalls for Williams, and he was susceptible to them all. Add in the fact that he also lacks maturity, and this was a recipe for disaster.
He was a teenager who purchased a 3,700-square-foot home in a San Diego suburb for $1.2 million in 2022 and was living in it with a teammate from San Ysidro High School.
According to On3, which tracks the value of NIL deals signed by high school and college athletes, Williams was earning a reported $3.3 million per year.
At that age with that kind of money, guidance is necessary. It doesn’t appear as though Williams had any.
