Mikey Williams regrets not playing under Penny Hardaway: NCAA star reflects on rough stint at Memphis amid legal issues

UCF guard Mikey Williams could not prevent the Knights from crashing out of the first round of the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday evening. He tallied 4 points, 1 rebound, and 2 assists in 19 minutes of action in the Knights' 98-94 loss to the Kansas Jayhawks.

Williams has had to deal with legal troubles due to a shooting incident at his home in March 2023 that led to him transferring from the Memphis Tigers before joining the Knights. The talented guard did not play a single game for coach Penny Hardaway's Tigers before leaving Memphis.

During a Wednesday segment of "The Pivot" podcast, Mikey Williams revealed his regret at not playing for Hardaway.

"That was definitely something I was excited about," Mikey Williams said. "Even just getting into college 'cause it's like, when you're young, you kind of see it like, college and then the NBA. But the whole time, college is still school. You could go for the whole four years. It just seems like the step before where you wanna be and just playing for Penny (Hardaway).

"Penny is great. I know he had a lot to teach me and I wanted to learn a lot from him too. It's just kind of like being in an environment with a pro, a real pro. Just getting starting habits and growing as a person. When I couldn't go, I was messed up. My brother JJ went there and we were supposed to go together like coming straight out of high school."

Why Mikey Williams left Memphis

Mikey Williams committed to playing for the Memphis Tigers under coach Penny Hardaway in 2022 as a highly-rated recruit but never got to practice for the team after he was charged with six counts of assault in March 2023. After a plea deal was agreed, he announced his intention to transfer to the UCF Knights.

In January 2024, William's attorney, Troy P. Owens Jr. released a statement accusing the Tigers of not prioritizing his client's integration into the Memphis team.

“Weeks went by and Mr. Williams stopped receiving responses from the University,” Owens said in the statement. “It became clear to Mr. Williams that having him play this season was not a priority for the University.

"What was even more frustrating was that Mr. Williams learned that the committee [review] was also going to decide whether, or not, he would be allowed to play in the 2024-2025 season even after being sentenced to a misdemeanor."

Mikey Williams averaged 5.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists in his sole season as a college basketball player for the UCF Knights.