Memphis basketball commit Mikey Williams was arrested and booked on five charges of assault with a deadly weapon Thursday afternoon, per Malik Earnest of CBS 8 San Diego.
An 18-year matching Williams' description was picked up in Jamul, a San Diego suburb where Williams recently purchased a 3,700-square foot house, per TMZ Sports. He was the transported to San Diego Central Jail around 3:30 p.m. local time and charged. San Diego Sheriff's Department confirmed to CBS that it was indeed Williams.
Williams, a five-star prospect and among the highest-profile high school basketball players in the country, is the crown jewel in Penny Hardaway's 2023 recruiting class, the No. 7 group in the nation.
The teenager faces a minimum sentence of six months for each charge. He was released on $50,000 bail just after midnight Friday morning.
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Shortly thereafter, Williams' Instagram page — which housed nearly 4 million followers — was deactivated.
The No. 26 overall player in the class of 2023, per 247Sports, Williams is a household name among basketball fans. He became the first American high school basketball player to ink a deal with a major shoe company when he signed with Puma in 2021.
In the highlight-rich world of social media, Williams has become something of a supernova. He's been in the spotlight since he was in middle school, showing out in front of LeBron James, among others.
He's only gone from strength to strength over the years, thrusting himself not just to the upper echelons of the high school game — he just missed out on this year's McDonald's All-American game — but to the top of the earning pile as well.
Per On3, a website that tracks student-athletes' name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, Williams is worth $3.3 million. That's fourth-best among student-athletes, trailing Bronny James ($7.2 million), Arch Manning ($3.8 million) and Olivia Dunne ($3.5 million). And that's before playing a college game.
Williams just put the finishing touches on his senior year, pouring in nearly 24 points and nine assists a night as his hometown San Ysidro fell in the California Interscholastic Federation Open Division playoffs semifinals.
Memphis' athletic department released the following statement in response to Williams' arrest:
“We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information."
Williams is scheduled for his first court appearance on April 20.