Memphis athletics confirms basketball's Mikey Williams has entered transfer portal
Mikey Williams, a Memphis basketball signee, elected to enter the transfer portal Monday.
His father, Mahlon, confirmed the 19-year-old prospect's decision to The Commercial Appeal. The Memphis athletic department issued a statement of its own Monday afternoon.
“We can confirm Mikey Williams has chosen to enter the transfer portal," the release said. "The University process for him to join the men’s basketball program was underway, but Williams elected to explore his options at this time.”
The 6-foot-3 freshman guard has spent much of the past year embroiled in a pending legal battle stemming from his April 2023 arrest on felony gun charges.
The high-profile social media superstar and former four-star recruit never actually played for the Tigers, although he signed with Penny Hardaway's program in November 2022, enrolled in online classes and has been listed on the team's official roster since before this season began.
Williams was arrested following a shooting outside his San Diego-area mansion in 2023. The 19-year-old, who finished his prep career at San Ysidro (California) in March 2023, eventually found himself facing nine felony charges, ranging from assault with a weapon, firing into an occupied vehicle and making threats that could result in bodily harm or death.
Upon his arrest, San Diego County authorities said an argument inside Williams' home escalated when gunshots were fired toward a car as it was being driven away with six people inside. The car was hit, but no one was injured.
MIKEY WILLIAMS: Why is Memphis basketball's Mikey Williams in the transfer portal? His father explains
Williams pleaded not guilty to all of the initial charges. In November, however, he agreed to a plea deal, pleading guilty to only one felony count of making criminal threats. As part of the deal, the charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor upon sentencing (which is set for Aug. 12) if Williams completes and adheres to a host of conditions.
Hardaway stood by Williams' side throughout the ordeal, repeatedly voicing publicly his staunch support of the prospect. Soon after Williams' plea deal was finalized in court, the University of Memphis began sorting through the full scope of that development.
Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis has statement after basketball's Mikey Williams enters portal
