Memphis says Mikey Williams is enrolled online but barred from hoops activities

EL CAJON, Calif. (AP) — Star recruit Mikey Williams is enrolled in online classes at Memphis and remains on the roster but will not have access to team facilities or activities until his court case on six felony gun charges is completed, the basketball program announced Wednesday.

Williams' status with the team will be determined then, according to a statement from the program.

Williams' preliminary hearing has been postponed three times and is now scheduled for Oct. 10 in San Diego County Superior Court in El Cajon. The Tigers began practice Monday and open the season Nov. 6 at home against Jackson State.

Williams faces five charges of assault with a weapon and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle. He could get up to 28 years in prison if convicted on all counts.

The March 27 shooting happened at the $1.2 million home Williams purchased in unincorporated Jamul in eastern San Diego County. An argument just before midnight ended with gunshots being fired at a car that was leaving the house with five passengers inside it, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release. Bullets hit the car, but nobody inside was injured, authorities said.

The shooting was reported to authorities the next day. Officers executed a search warrant at the home and arrested Williams on April 13. He was arraigned on April 20 and appeared via video conference after his attorney, Troy P. Owens, cited security concerns. Owens entered pleas of not guilty on Williams' behalf.

Williams was one of the name, image and likeness era’s earliest stars, securing a multiyear deal with shoe and athletic apparel maker Puma for an undisclosed amount in 2021. He had millions of followers across his social media platforms before apparently deactivating them. On3.com once estimated his NIL valuation at $3.6 million, but Williams’ name no longer appears in the rankings.

Williams played his senior year at San Ysidro High School in San Diego and signed with Memphis in November.

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