Mikey Williams commits to Memphis, Penny Hardaway

High school superstar and social media sensation Mikey Williams has committed to play his college basketball at Memphis for head coach Penny Hardaway.

The 6-foot-2 class of 2023 combo guard kept his recruitment close to the vest, but we know Arkansas, Arizona State, and Kansas were all in the mix, alongside the Tigers.

Williams returned to his old high school, San Ysirdro in San Diego for his senior year,  before stops at Lake Norman Christian and Vertical Academy in North Carolina.

He ranks as the No. 22 overall prospect in the class of 2023, according to the On3 Consensus — the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies. He also ranks as the No. 4 overall combo guard in the country. 

Williams joins four-star guard Carl Cherenfant (No. 112) and three-star Ryan Forrest (No. 210). Four-star JJ Taylor committed alongside him.

Williams’ NIL value is worth millions

Mikey Williams has an On3 NIL Valuation of $3.4M, making him the second-most valuable high school athlete in the name, image, and likeness era, only behind Bronny James. Mikey is the No. 2 player in On3’s NIL 100, which ranks high school and college football and men’s basketball players. The On3 NIL 100 is the first of its kind and the defacto NIL ranking of the top 100 high school and college athletes based on projected market valuation.

Mikey Williams’ massive multi-million dollar On3 NIL Valuation is largely because of his huge followings on Instagram (3.8 million) and TikTok (2.1 million).

In October of 2021, Mikey Williams became the first American high school basketball player to sign a sneaker deal with a global footwear company (Puma).

Scouting Summary

Mikey Williams is a strong framed guard whose shot-making ability and athletic explosion have brought him viral success. He has a good handle and is able to get into his spots in the half-court. He has an array of step-backs and fadeaways that help to create space. HIs motor and motivation are the question marks, never the talent. When he does turn it on, he is capable of carrying a game, you just never know when that will happen. It is fascinating to see how the crowd reacts to Williams. – On3’s Jamie Shaw