Penny Hardaway Says Mikey Williams 'Still With' Memphis Basketball Days After His Troubling Arrest

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Mikey Williams, the highly touted Memphis signee, was arrested last week on five felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. While Tigers head coach Penny Hardaway refused to go into details about the pending charges, he did drop a hint about his program's plans for the California native.

Williams signed with the Tigers in November 2022, but his arrest certainly throws a giant wrinkle into the equation. While it's impossible to know what the future holds for Williams, or if his future even includes the University of Memphis, Hardaway says the point guard is still a part of the plan, at least for now.

“I mean, I’m gonna continue to recruit,” Hardaway told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “(But) as of right now, Mikey is still with us. That’s how I have to keep it until otherwise. That’s why I say, I can’t really speak on the case. Nothing has happened thus far.”

Williams is set to make his first court appearance on Thursday morning.

Mikey Williams, a Memphis signee, is still a part of Penny Hardaway's plans, at least for now. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The five-star recruit was arrested on April 13 on charges stemming from a March 27 shooting at his home in San Diego. Police say that Williams shot at a vehicle as it drove away. Thankfully, no one was injured.

Williams was booked on five counts of assault with a deadly weapon using a firearm, and in California, each of those counts carries a minimum sentence of six months in county jail if convicted.

A report in January named Williams as the No. 2 NIL earner in college athletics only behind LeBron James’ son, Bronny. Williams’ NIL evaluation was estimated to be $3.6 million.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.