Mikey Williams' preliminary gun charges hearing again postponed

Mikey Williams, a four-star shooting guard who is committed to play for Memphis this season, had his preliminary hearing on gun charges postponed on Tuesday, according to a report from the San Diego Union-Tribune.

It is the third time in less than three months that the hearing has been postponed. The new date is Oct. 10, just weeks before the Tigers play their first preseason game on Oct. 29.

The most recent delay raises the question of whether Williams will be able to get the matter cleared up in time to play for Memphis this year. He has yet to enroll in classes and did not join the team for its summer tour in the Dominican Republic in August. Sources told the Union-Tribune that he has not arrived on campus as classes began last week.

Tigers coach Penny Hardaway addressed the situation on Friday, saying he will wait until the conclusion of the case to make a decision on Williams’ status moving forward.

“(We’ve) got to wait and see,” Hardaway said. “They’re going see if it’s going to go to trial and we’ll go from there.”

Hardaway added that the team hasn’t considered what it will do if the case remains unresolved before the season tips off, but said that Williams is “still our guy.”

Williams was arrested on April 13 and has been charged with five counts of assault with a firearm and one count of shooting at an occupied vehicle. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges, which carry a maximum sentence of 28 years in prison.

The alleged incident took place on March 27 at Williams’ $1.2 million home in Jamul, California. Police say there was a “verbal altercation” as some five guests at the home were asked to leave. Gunshots were fired as they got into their car and the vehicle was hit, but no one was hurt.

Williams’ attorney, Troy P. Owens, said he initially hoped the case would have a quick conclusion. However, with new evidence continuing to come in, the delays are necessary to give him additional time to prep and offer the best defense.

“That was my goal at the beginning of this case, because there were a lot of deadlines coming up with school enrollment and everything,” Owens said Tuesday. “But we have to dictate our dates based upon how the evidence comes out. If we’re not in a position to proceed and we haven’t reviewed all of the available evidence, we’re not going to go forward with a hearing.”

Williams played his senior year of high school at San Ysidro High School in San Diego. He ranked as the No. 52 overall player and No. 13 shooting guard in the 2023 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.