Mikey Williams says a commitment is coming soon
High school superstar Mikey Williams was in action over in the weekend in Las Vegas at the Border League. On Saturday morning, the Top-25 recruit finished with 31 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds in the win. The 6-foot-2 combo guard has returned to his old high school, San Ysirdro in San Diego, Calif. for his senior year. It’s where he played his freshman season before stops at Lake Norman Christian and Vertical Academy in North Carolina.
“It feels good being back home,” Williams said. “It’s a home environment. Coach is like family so the bond is there. I feel comfortable.”
Williams 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.
Mikey confirms he’s going to college
For quite some time, rumors and speculation suggested Mikey would not be going to college and instead, opt for the professional route, whether that’s with Overtime Elite, the G-League Ignite, or a team overseas. However, recently, he’s shut down those pro rumors completely.
“College,” Williams said confidently when asked what’s next. “I don’t have a list or anything yet, but definitely college.”
His reasoning for wanting to go to college is simple.
“The experience, the atmosphere, and March Madness,” he says. “The lights are very bright. That’s what I like, being in those type of environments.
Kansas is the only known school to host Williams on an official visit. Despite landing three guards in the class (Elmarko Jackson, Chris Johnson, Jamari McDowell), Mikey says the Jayhawks are still involved in his recruitment.
“They win and I like the way they play,” Williams said of the 2022 National Champs. “Bill Self is a great coach and they have a great coaching staff. Every hooper wants to be in an environment like that.”
Mikey is keeping his recruitment close to the vest. While he wouldn’t name any other specific schools involved in his recruitment, he did list a few conferences.
“Some schools in the Pac-12, ACC, Big 12. I don’t really want to speak on anything specifically.”
He did confirm that he does not have any college visits currently scheduled and plans to make a college decision in the near future.
“A decision is coming soon, but I’m still open (to other schools). I can’t wait too late to make the decision.”
Before making a decision, Mikey has a few things he’s looking for in a college.
“Somewhere that I can get better,” he says. “Somewhere where I fit into what they’re doing. I want the coaches to push me. I just want to get to the League, that’s the ultimate goal.”
Williams holds reported offers from Kansas, USC, Oregon, Tennessee, Arkansas, UCLA, Arizona, and others.
Williams’ NIL value is worth millions
Mikey Williams has an On3 NIL Valuation of $3.5M, 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 followers) and TikTok (2.1 million followers).
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.