UCF transfer Mikey Williams doesn’t care about finishing college, plans on NBA originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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It’s hard to tell a basketball player than his dreams of playing in the NBA are a bit far-fetched. Please don’t misunderstand, every Division 1 hooper is exceptionally talented when it comes to basketball, and in the top one percent of the entire world’s basketball-playing population, but when former high school standout Mikey Williams says that the NBA is his goal, and he’ll be a pro before he finishes college, an outside observer can’t help but wince a bit.

That’s exactly what Williams said in an interview with The State Hornet, a publication at his new collegiate home, Sacramento State.

“I’m definitely trying to get to the NBA before I graduate, so I don’t really see too much longer of a college career.”

Though it’s impolite to criticize a young player for his goals, one has to look at his recent history to really understand why prioritizing college may be in Williams’ best interest long-term.

Williams was a highly-touted recruit out of the basketball class of 2023. A four-star combo guard and the 19th-ranked player in the nation, he chose to suit up for a reborn Anfernee Hardaway-led program (yes, that Anfernee Hardaway) with the Memphis Tigers. He’d transfer from the program to join a squad in the Big 12 to underwhelming results, as an injury-riddled stint with UCF limited Williams to just 18 games, where he would score 5.1 points per night.

Now, in his third season of college basketball, Williams is suiting up for the Sacramento State Hornets who, despite recently hiring Mike Bibby as head coach and Shaquille O’Neal to a pseudo-front office role as general manager for the basketball program, isn’t exactly known as a factory for NBA talent historically.

For this former high school standout, an outside perspective would advise that he first prove capable of competing at a high level before cashing his NBA checks. The cautionary tale of his former Memphis teammate, Emoni Bates, who was likewise a highly-coveted high school recruit who finished his college stint at a small mid-major school before an early jump to the NBA, may likewise project Williams’ future as a pro if he doesn’t first take time to develop his skill set to a professional level.

All the same, Williams’ goals are his own, and if he believes he’s ready for the next step, far be it from anyone else to tell him what he can and cannot do.

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