UCF's Mikey Williams explains – Black & Gold Banneret

One million followers by the age of 14, nationwide hype and recognition from NBA greats like LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Shaq characterized Mikey Williams' immense early success.

Now that the young star has found his way to UCF, it's time to understand who he is and what he brings to the table.

Who is Mikey Williams?

Photo by John Jones/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Williams is a San Diego native who recently arrived at UCF after starting his college career at Memphis. The flashy 20-year-old first-year guard turned heads in middle school with his exciting plays that turned into electrifying highlight reels online.

Why is he so famous?

Williams gained a reputation at a young age as he became a highlight reel at a young age.

Mikey's basketball journey began with the popularity of social media platforms such as Instagram and his strong play at a young age began to translate into a rapidly growing social media fan base that brought him into the national spotlight. Williams currently has over three million followers on Instagram.

How did he get so many followers?

The standout guard began making waves online when he was in seventh grade after an AAU game against the North Coast Blue Chips.

At the time, the blue chips included AAU sensation Bronny James, the eldest son of none other than LeBron James. After Mikey put on a massive 36-point performance in front of The King, social media took notice and Williams' following began to grow exponentially without slowing down, especially after he joined the Blue Chips and teamed up with Bronny shortly after.

Why did he come to UCF?

After redshirting as a freshman at Memphis without playing, Williams made the decision to come to Orlando and truly begin his college playing career under coach Johnny Dawkins and the Knights.

Chris Hays/Orlando Sentinel/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

For Mikey, Coach Dawkins is one of the main reasons he chose to come to UCF, which he expressed at the Knights' 2024 Basketball Media Day.

“Coach Dawkins was instrumental in the decision,” Williams said. “Just playing for a coach like that, I know he can get the best out of me.”

He also enjoys what Orlando has to offer.

“I like the city too, that played a big role too,” Williams added. “I like the atmosphere here.”

Williams also expressed that the coaching staff was confident in him from day one.

Is he The Good?

If you haven't checked out the highlight reels provided above to see for yourself, Mikey Williams is that good.

However, Williams is a young talent who has yet to prove himself at the college level, and now he comes to play for a Knights team that is entering its second season in the Big 12, one of the most coveted college basketball conferences in the world country.

Williams understands the challenge of this transition and has therefore prepared extensively for it.

“Mostly for me it’s just about regaining the feeling of what I’ve been able to do in practice,” Williams said of his process. “I will say that just learning the system just because I'm new to it is probably the biggest adjustment, but overall I've got it all figured out.”

Johnny Dawkins praised Williams' early efforts on media day, but the UCF head coach also wants him to understand the importance of running his own race and not putting too much pressure on himself.

“Mikey was great,” Dawkins said. “He came in, he worked really hard, he’s really competitive.

“There are so many expectations for a young person who has this talent and is so praised,” Dawkins added. “Sometimes you can put the pressure of the world on yourself to come out and try to be something right away.”

Our first look at Williams in action for the Knights recently came in the form of a limited role in two preseason exhibition games against FGCU and Georgia, where Williams scored five points and nine points, respectively, while grabbing three rebounds in each contest.

With the recent injury to senior guard Jaylin Sellers, the team's leading scorer, there's a strong chance we'll see more of Mikey Williams sooner rather than later as the UCF Knights open the season against top-25 opponent Texas A&M will be November 4th at 7 p.m