Mikey Williams on Instagram
Mikey Williams is arguably the most famous high school basketball player in the United States. If he isn’t the most well-known, he is at the very least in the conversation.
When you’re as young and gifted as Williams, any mention of a possible college decision is going to draw a lot of eyes. On Tuesday, Williams teased possibly going to a Historically Black College or University aka HBCU on his Twitter account.
Keep in mind, Williams is only 15 years old and he just completed his freshman year in high school, so this is still a way off. Things can change a lot in three years–especially for a teenager. If you’re wondering why this is even significant enough to discuss, take a look at the following Williams has already garnered.
His Twitter account has 36,000 followers, and he’s near 24,000 followers on Instagram. This video on YouTube featuring Williams has more than 297,000 views, and it is one of many with astronomical numbers that has the teenager’s name in the title.
The hype behind the 6’3″ uber-athletic guard is only going to grow as fast as he still could considering his age. By the time he’s a senior in high school, we could be looking at a Zion-Williamson-like following.
That said, imagine the impact a player who projects to be as good and popular as Williams could make if he were to choose an HBCU.
The Potential Impact of Williams at an HBCU
Whether it was Alcorn State, Hampton, Jackson State, Florida A&M, Howard, Prairie View State, Grambling St, or another HBCU, Williams’ arrival on campus would be the biggest news of the year for the score.
He’d likely be the most prized and celebrated recruit to land at any of the schools in the history of their hoops programs. Assuming his basketball skills continue to improve, I can see Williams’ games becoming must-see, and the school and its opponents drawing larger crowds than normal during what would likely wind up being a single-year experience for Williams.
In addition to Williams’ arrival at an HBCU impacting the school he’d choose, it would also be a boost for the conference. Every team in the conference would benefit from Williams’ presence–even if it only lasted for a year. Also, inking Williams would serve as a boost for HBCUs in the area of hoops recruitment.
Few HBCU players ascend to the professional ranks. With Williams having a career in the NBA as an obvious goal, his ascension might set the table for other top prep stars to also choose an HBCU.
Is it Realistic?
The recruitment of Williams figures to be a tough battle. The Kentuckys, Dukes, Kansas, Memphis, and other major programs are going to come calling. The lure of playing for one of those kinds of iconic programs, and on national television on a regular basis would probably be too tough for Williams to resist.
However, if he did elect to go to an HBCU, he’d be doing something that no other major high school preps star has ever done. Being the young man with that distinction could lead him to a different level of respect and notoriety.