Busting Brackets
Fansided

NCAA Basketball: Mikey Williams top 10 list has a distinctly HBCU tone

By Herbert Seward III

RICHMOND, VA - NOVEMBER 25: AJ Farrar #13 and Kevin Holston #2 of the Alabama State Hornets in the first half during a game against the VCU Rams at Stuart C. Siegel Center on November 25, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images)
RICHMOND, VA - NOVEMBER 25: AJ Farrar #13 and Kevin Holston #2 of the Alabama State Hornets in the first half during a game against the VCU Rams at Stuart C. Siegel Center on November 25, 2019 in Richmond, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan M. Kelly/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

2023 top prospect Mikey Williams indicated early in his recruiting process that HBCU basketball programs were going to be a serious factor in his soon-to-be college career. The make-up of the 10 finalists for his signature seems to drive home that point.

Mikey Williams recruitment has been high-profile since its birth, and for reasons that go beyond the hardwood. Williams is arguably one of the most coveted guards in a potentially loaded 2023 hoops recruiting class and has been on the radar of pretty much any power 5 school you could imagine.

He’s also been extremely specific about the possibility of taking his talents to a black college hoops program. Some folks chalk that up to the current climate of social affairs outside of basketball, but there’s a more to the story for Williams and his family. Mikey’s mom is a former softball player, and graduate of Hampton University, an HBCU with a storied basketball legacy of its own in the CIAA prior to making the jump to the MEAC and Division 1 basketball.

Yep…That’s right; Mikey Williams is a legacy kid of a proud HBCU graduate. It’s definitely a factor to think about when we examine the final 10 programs that made the cut for the electric California guard prospect:

There’s one blueblood program present in Kansas and four programs in Memphis, San Diego State, Arizona State, and Southern California that check some of the more obvious columns in terms of marquee star power (Penny Hardaway is a formidable recruiting adversary, regardless of the league), location, and roster availability. That’s where the traditional commonality comes to a screeching halt, though.

There are five HBCU hoops programs that have made the cut for his services. Each one of them poses a serious threat to bring the explosive guard into their own fold. Tennessee State University from the Ohio Valley Conference, Hampton University from the Big South, Alabama State University and perennial conference powerhouse Texas Southern from the SWAC, and MEAC kings of the hill North Carolina Central round out the finalists for Williams.

Hampton

The Pirates obviously sticks out among the HBCU candidates, due to the familial ties to the school. HU’s move to the Big South (as well as it’s showing in the league on its biggest stage last season) may prove to be a big positive in terms of where the Williams recruitment COULD go.

Tennessee State

In terms of the level of competition outside of the P5, Tennessee State seems to be the most intriguing candidate for his services. The Ohio Valley Conference has had a notorious reputation over the years of being one of the most competitive mid-major leagues in college basketball. More recently, the Belmont Bruins and the brilliance of Ja Morant’s Murray State career and tourney work have been highlighting for the conference. TNSU finished in the top 5 of the OVC this year under Brian Collins and looks to be in the mix for an OVC title and the possibility of postseason play. A successful Mikey Williams recruitment could put the Tigers over the top.

Alabama State and Texas Southern

Alabama State and Texas Southern are on opposite sides of the SWAC spectrum in terms of success, but both are equally in the mix to land Willams. Bama State, in particular, has generated a ton of recruiting momentum and program visibility under new coach and former NBA star Mo Williams. Compton Magic, Mikey Williams’ AAU squad, already has a presence on coach Williams’ early roster in recruit DJ Jackson, whose part of a large recruiting haul for the Hornets. This connection could pay dividends as this process plays out to its completion.

NC Central

The wildcard on the list is North Carolina Central. Coach Levelle Moten’s track record since going back to his alma mater in Durham has been extraordinary. He’s also spearheaded the Eagles’ pursuit of Williams and built a solid relationship with the family in the process.

Next. Top 25 breakout sophomores for 2020-21. dark

Still, the specter of the power 5 programs on the list, particularly one of the most storied college basketball programs in the history of the sport in Kansas, presents a huge obstacle for anybody recruiting against them. That being said, it’s going to be interesting to see where the Mikey Williams recruiting story ends. One thing is for sure; The nature of this recruitment may become less and less of an outlier as time and events wear on. The shift in confidence for HBCU recruiting is one for the better of the schools, and for the parity of college basketball in general.