Williams not with Memphis while facing charges

Memphis freshman Mikey Williams remains away from the basketball team while the legal process plays out regarding his April arrest, the school announced Wednesday.

Williams is enrolled in online classes at the University of Memphis and is listed on the team’s roster, but the school said he does not have access to team facilities or activities. That will remain the case “until his pending legal process is complete.”

“The process to assess and determine his status with the team will be initiated at that time,” the school said.

Williams, a top-50 recruit with millions of social media followers, was arrested in April on multiple felony charges related to a shooting at his San Diego home. Williams faces five charges of assault with a weapon and one count of firing into an occupied vehicle. He pleaded not guilty at a hearing in April.

According to police, Williams allegedly fired a gun at a carful of people who had just left his residence.

His preliminary hearing has been postponed three times and is now scheduled for Oct. 10.

Williams didn’t join Memphis for its summer trip to the Dominican Republic and wasn’t present for the team’s first official practice earlier this week.

The 6-foot-2 guard was considered a five-star prospect early in his high school career, when he garnered national attention for his dunking exploits and YouTube mixtapes. He had millions of followers on Instagram and TikTok before he deleted his accounts following his arrest.

Memphis plays two exhibition games against Lane College and LeMoyne-Owen College before opening the 2023-24 season against Jackson State on Nov. 6.