Mikey Williams lays out his plan whether to play college basketball or skip to the pros
Charlotte high school basketball star Mikey Williams plans to go to college for at least one year, according to both Williams and his father.
Williams is a 17-year-old junior combo guard for Vertical Academy, a new basketball program in Charlotte created by his father, Mahlon Williams. A 5-star recruit, Williams is ranked No. 15 in 247Sports’ consensus rankings for the Class of 2023 and No. 1 in North Carolina.
“He’s definitely going to college,” Mahlon Williams said of his son in an interview with The Observer. “Me and him had a really long discussion about that a couple of days ago. Every six months or so, we kind of gauge where we’re at, and he wants to be a part of the college environment.”
There has been a lot of speculation in recruiting circles that Williams would skip college entirely and instead play either in one of the new professional American leagues catering to young basketball stars or else overseas before he becomes eligible for the 2024 NBA Draft. Because of Williams’ explosive above-the-rim game and the 3.5 million Instagram followers that drool over his every dunk, he has the star power to weigh a lot of options.
But Mikey Williams said he wants to go to college in 2023, likely for a “one-and-done” year, and then head to the 2024 NBA Draft. He added that he believes at least some college experience remains the best option for players trying to make it in the NBA.
“That’s the plan right now,” Mikey Williams told The Observer about going to college. ”It’s a route (to the NBA) I wouldn’t say is guaranteed, but I have a great chance that it will lead to the next level after that.”
Who are his collegiate finalists?
“I’m undecided on all that,” Mikey Williams said, although he added he will give several HBCUs strong consideration. N.C. Central is known to be one of them, but there are others.
Said Mahlon Williams: “He has a couple of HBCUs on his list and so that’s always going to be a possibility for him. He also has some mid-majors and some high majors.”
Mikey Williams is in the middle of his first season for Vertical Academy, an independent team that isn’t tied to any high school association and plays only “showcase” games on the road, mostly out of state. He averages roughly 23 points, six assists and five rebounds per game, his father said, for a team that has won about half its games.
Mahlon Williams said his son will again play for Vertical Academy in Charlotte as a senior next season. Originally from California, Mikey Williams moved to Charlotte before his sophomore season and played that year at Lake Norman Christian.
This story was originally published February 1, 2022 at 11:57 AM.
