Mikey Williams, the former high school prodigy, potentially faces a substantial jail sentence

Nineteen-year-old Memphis Tigers guard Mikey Williams may have his dreams of playing in the NBA shattered as he is facing a potential 28-year prison sentence. As reported by CBS, Mikey is charged with five counts of assault with a weapon, as well as one more charge for firing into an occupied vehicle.

The alleged incident took place back in March at Mikey's home where witnesses saw the high school phenom threaten the victims before they left in a vehicle, which was fired at with a gun. It should be noted that no witnesses saw Mikey shoot the gun during this dispute, and there were thankfully no casualties.

Mikey is currently enrolled at Memphis University, where they have allowed him to continue his education via online courses during this period. However, he has been given limited access to team activities, with his status expected to be reviewed following his hearing.




Mikey's Fan Following

Before these unfortunate incidents unfolded, Williams was a highly rated high school player and draft prospect in the Class of 2024. His highlight videos received millions of views online, catching the eye of many, including NBA star LeBron James.

LeBron James pulled up to watch #1 freshman Mikey Williams tonight!! 👀👀 pic.twitter.com/AUWhnRbzbK— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 6, 2020

7th grader Mikey Williams impressed LeBron James yesterday! 👀👀 @BigFootHoops pic.twitter.com/Wz0HWfGUyS— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) July 28, 2018

Mikey was poised to become one of the top prospects in his class after his showstopping sophomore year in high school, during which he averaged 29.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. One standout performance saw him scoring 77 points in a single game.



While we are unsure of the outcome of his charges, even if he serves no jail time and returns to play at Memphis, this situation will most likely negatively impact his draft value. This is demonstrated in a similar incident when LiAngelo Ball's stock dropped after being arrested for shoplifting in China. Mikey is currently a better prospect than LiAngelo was, but given the severity of his incident, his value will likely decrease significantly, especially when considering the repercussions of Ja Morant's actions involving a gun last season and how the NBA punished him.

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