What does Mikey Williams plea deal mean for Memphis basketball? Here's everything we know

Mikey Williams' ongoing legal saga took an abrupt and dramatic swerve Thursday.

The immensely popular, celebrity-in-his-own-right Memphis basketball signee was facing nine felonies and careening toward a criminal trial stemming from a shooting that occurred outside his California mansion in March, while Williams was still a senior at San Ysidro High School.

But two weeks before the trial was scheduled to begin, the 19-year-old agreed to a plea deal. He pleaded guilty Thursday to a single felony count of making criminal threats and walked out of the California courtroom giving "all glory to God."

"I'm just happy I made it out this situation. I'm just excited to get back to the (basketball) court," Williams said in a video posted by Overtime on social media.

Williams' legal situation has not exactly been resolved. His sentencing date is set for Aug. 12, 2024. According to reports, as part of the conditions of his guilty plea, he will need to complete anger management and gun-safety courses, as well as 80 hours of community service, before his sentencing date. If completed, the charge of making criminal threats will be reduced to a misdemeanor. According to NBC San Diego, he also will have a 10-year gun restriction on his record.

How Mikey Williams got here

Williams was all set to arrive at Memphis in summer 2023. The four-star guard, who boasts a massive social media following and parlayed his popularity into several lucrative NIL deals (including one with apparel giant Puma), committed to Tigers coach Penny Hardaway in November 2022 and signed a national letter of intent not long afterward.

He finished his senior season at San Ysidro, but on March 27, 2023, Williams landed in hot water.

A shooting took place outside the mansion in San Diego County that he shared with former San Ysidro teammate and current Memphis Tigers freshman JJ Taylor. No one was injured, but according to the San Diego County Sheriff's Department, Williams shot at a car with six people inside after "a verbal argument about guests in the house being asked to leave."

On April 13, Williams was arrested and charged with six felonies. He plead not guilty to all charges. His preliminary hearing was postponed three times. Meanwhile, he enrolled in online classes at the University of Memphis and spent some time in the Bluff City during the summer. Hardaway said, however, that Williams was never around the team and was not permitted access to any of the program's facilities.

In October, Williams was charged with three additional felonies. During an explosive preliminary hearing, one witness testified Williams told a group of uninvited guests, "We better get to stepping or you'll leave with bullet holes."

A second witness testified Williams said, "We're up in the mountains so no one will be able to save us or help us."

Had he been convicted on all nine felony charges, he could have spent up to 30 years in prison.

Where Mikey Williams goes from here

What exactly Thursday's development means for Williams' future is unclear.

Could he join the team in time to play for the Tigers this season? Will he have to wait until he can suit up at Memphis next season?

The University of Memphis did not immediately weigh in on the news, leaving the situation open for interpretation. He remains on the basketball program's official online roster, just as he has been even as events in the court system unfolded and circumstances changed.

On Sept. 27, the athletic department issued a statement addressing the matter, saying it would "assess and determine his status with the team" once the legal process had run its course.

MIKEY WILLIAMS: Memphis basketball signee Mikey Williams pleads guilty to one count in connection to March shooting | Report

Hardaway has been asked repeatedly about Williams' situation in the past six months, and he has maintained a supportive position. The most recent time he spoke publicly about it was on Oct. 25.

"I don't think it affects the program at all," Hardaway said. "I think this young man is, obviously, going through something. He hasn't been found guilty of anything, so we just have to continue to support him."

Reach sports writer Jason Munz at jason.munz@commercialappeal.com or follow him @munzly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: What's next for Memphis basketball after Mikey Williams' plea deal?