KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mikey Williams , a former high school star who never played at Memphis after his April 2023 arrest, is making the most of his “second chance” at UCF , coach Johnny Dawkins said at Big 12 media day Wednesday.
Williams faced nine felonies and a lengthy prison sentence after he was arrested and charged for allegedly firing a gun at a car full of people who had arrived at his home. The charges were reduced, and he pleaded guilty in November to a single felony count of making criminal threats with provisions that would allow him to avoid jail time.
He was sentenced to a year of summary probation in August and his felony charge was reduced to a misdemeanor, clearing the way for him to make his collegiate debut with the Knights this season.
Dawkins said both he and school officials were careful to properly evaluate Williams before his commitment to the program.
“When we brought [Williams] in, of course we met, we did our due diligence,” Dawkins said. “We want to see if the young man is the right fit for our program, like we would do with any young player. And we do that for every single player that we admit to our university. And we do our due diligence, and we go through everything and we make a decision. And fortunately, I have a university that trusts me in my evaluation process.