Memphis freshman Mikey Williams will face trial on felony gun charges. The decision was made at a hearing earlier this week, with Williams scheduled to be arraigned on October 24. The lone victory for Williams is that Judge Sherry M. Thompson-Taylor declined the prosection's motion to raise Williams' bond to $500,000. Williams is currently enrolled in online classes at Memphis but is prohibited from training with the basketball team or accessing the athletic facilities.
Williams is accused of discharging a firearm at an occupied vehicle following a disagreement at his home in California. While bullets did hit the car, no one inside was injured. Furthermore, while there are no primary witnesses to Williams firing the gun, Thompson-Taylor ruled that there was probable cause to move forward with the trial. However, she also warned the courtroom that she would not hesitate to clear members of the public out of the room. This came after reports that someone was making hand gestures and facial expressions that could be construed as witness intimidation.
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Memphis Preparing For Season Without Williams
With Williams set to be arraigned, it's likely that he will miss the start of the college basketball season. Williams did not join the team for their summer trip to the Dominican Republic and missed the first week of official practices. Memphis open their season against Jackson State on November 6 and have two exhibition games in late October. The future for Williams remains unclear at this time. However, he could face up to 28 years in prison if found guilty on all counts. Head coach Penny Hardaway and other team officials have declined to comment about the matter at this time. However, while he is their best recruit, he is not Memphis' only recruit. Furthermore, the Tigers have a bevy of transfers also joining the program.
Also joining the Tigers this season are several other top-tier recruits. There is Williams' high-school teammate Javonte Taylor, who is ranked #67 by ESPN. Furthermore, there is Ashton Hardaway, son of Tigers' coach Penny and ESPN's #92 recruit. Last season, Memphis won the AAC tournament but crashed out in the first round of the NCAA tournament against #25 Florida Atlantic. Williams' case remains a developing story and we'll have any updates as and when they emerge.
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