"Staying for u man": Coach Prime has words of encouragement for Mikey Williams after his career high performance

Deion Sanders, also known as Coach Prime, knows how to uplift a younger generation. Leading Colorado, he recruits players from the transfer portal, while a content creation team led by his son, Deion Sanders Jr., closely follows the team.

Coach Prime must take note of the basketball court as well, with a former prodigy in that sport.

During a 77-65 home loss to No. 10 Iowa State on Tuesday, UCF's Mikey Williams scored a career-high 14 points, along with three rebounds and an assist. Williams shot 6-for-12 from the field, including two 3-pointers.

Williams is averaging 4.0 points, 1.2 rebounds and 0.5 assists while shooting 36.7%. Coach Prime was pleased with the freshman guard's performance against the Cyclones.

"I'm praying & staying for u man," Coach Prime wrote in an Instagram story Saturday. "Always have & always will because I Believe in in You!"

Coach Prime had some words of encouragement for UCF's Mikey Williams

Why is Coach Prime cheering for Williams?

Mikey Williams initially joined Memphis as a highly-touted recruit but never played for the Tigers following his arrest in April 2023. He faced multiple felonies and an extended prison sentence after allegedly firing a gun at a car full of people that pulled up to his home.

Williams pleaded guilty to a single felony and avoided jail time. That was later reduced to a misdemeanor, and UCF coach Johnny Dawkins decided to add Williams.

"When we brought (Williams) in, of course we met, we did our due diligence," Dawkins said at Big 12 media day in October. "We want to see if the young man is the right fit for our program, like we would do with any young player. And we do that for every single player that we admit to our university. ... I have a university that trusts me in my evaluation process.

"And I think they did an amazing job at taking in information and making a decision to enroll him. And he's been terrific, I mean, in every sense of the word."

Coach Prime has watched from afar as Williams, a former five-star prospect, gained a following through his highlight reels and high-profile relationships with LeBron James and Drake.

Dawkins believed Williams deserved a second chance, understanding that young people's mistakes shouldn't define them.

"If we were in a world where no one got second chances, I don't know where any of us would be right now," Dawkins said. "And so I'm just really proud of our university for taking that type of stand."

UCF has struggled as of late, though, and isn't at all a lock to make the NCAA Tournament.