Wyoming Loses Lone Basketball Recruit in 2023-24 Class

LARAMIE -- Wyoming's lone basketball signing in the 2023-24 class has had a change of heart.

California guard Makaih Williams announced via social media Tuesday he is reopening his recruitment after inking with Jeff Linder's program back in November.

Get our free mobile app

"I would like to announce that I will be decommitting from the University of Wyoming and reopening my recruitment," Williams posted on Twitter. "I would like to thank the University of Wyoming coaching staff for the opportunity. Due to recent changes, my family and I feel that it's best for me to ask for the release of my (National Letter of Intent)."

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Long Beach product is rated a three-star recruit by 247sports.com and also received interest from Ole Miss, San Francisco and Mountain West foe, Utah State. Williams currently plays at Southern California Academy and was rated the 38th best point guard in the state. During his final campaign at Capistrano Valley Christian, he averaged nearly 19 points per outing and dished out 4.9 assists. Williams also added more than six rebounds and three steals a night.

MORE UW HOOPS NEWS VIA 7220SPORTS:

* Pokes can play spoiler tonight with Utah State in town

* Linder, Wyoming embracing role of spoiler down the stretch

* Jeff Linder said he is no longer coaching effort, calls it 'liberating'

* PODCAST: Pokes burst Lobos' bubble in ABQ

Williams was a CIF Open Division Second-Team selection. He also earned First-Team All-League as a senior and earned Second Team honors as a junior and sophomore.

"Makaih is the perfect example of what happens to a player when they dive into the work and trust the process," Linder said after inking Williams on Nov. 9. "He exemplifies all the traits we look for in a lead guard. He has high character, quarterback type communication skills, a powerful on-court presence and a never-back-down competitive nature. Not to mention the fact that he is a late bloomer and his best basketball is still ahead of him.

"We knew when he committed that he had a special make-up about him. Kaih is a live-it guy and those players always find a way to make an impact sooner rather than later in our program. We could not be more thrilled to welcome Kaih to Cowboy Country."

Linder and Co. will have five available scholarships at season's end thanks to the departures of fellow southern California products Ethan Anderson, Max Agbonkpolo and Jake Kyman, who left the program Feb. 7, the day before the Cowboys hosted UNLV. Hunter Maldonado and Hunter Thompson will also exhaust their eligibility.