Report: Mikey Williams' preliminary hearing postponed again

The preliminary hearing for Memphis signee Mikey Williams has been delayed again, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Mark Zeigler. Williams was arrested on felony gun charges in April.

This is the second time in less than a month the hearing has been postponed, The Daily Memphian’s Parth Upadhyaya said, and Williams’ future at Memphis could be in doubt. The hearing was originally scheduled for June 29, but got pushed back to July 12. Now, it is scheduled for Sept. 5 with a readiness conference on Aug. 16.

On April 20, Williams pleaded not guilty to five charges of assault with a deadly weapon. If convicted on all charges, he could face a maximum of 28 years in prison, Upadhyaya wrote at the time.

Williams was one of the top recruits in the country during the 2023 recruiting cycle. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 52-ranked player in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

More on the Mikey Williams situation, how Penny Hardaway is approaching things

Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway addressed how he’s handling the situation last month at the AutoZone Liberty Bowl Golf Classic in Memphis. He made it clear he and the Tigers are waiting to see what happens before making any final decisions on Williams’ future. He is currently listed on the official roster, but the Commercial Appeal’s Jason Munz reported he’s not on campus. Memphis’ other three signees have arrived.

“Obviously, every coach has an opportunity to detach from a situation if they want to, (but) I’m not that type,” Hardaway said, via Munz. “We have to let everything play itself out first and not overreact. I’m not calling him guilty before he’s innocent. A lot of people do that. But, for me, we’re just staying the course until we figure this whole entire thing out.”

Before his not guilty plea, Williams’ attorney Troy P. Owens released a statement pushing back on “several narratives being advanced” stemming from the incident.

“During the aftermath of this disturbance, there were reports of shots being fired,” the letter reads. “Mr. Williams is alleged to match the description of the shooter. As a result, a search warrant was executed at the home and Mr. Williams was arrested.

“He has posted bond and looks forward to addressing any allegations against him using the established procedures in our justice system.”