Emoni Bates is the real deal
Ypsilanti, Mich. (BVM) — Whenever you see a basketball prospect who stands at 6-foot-9 or higher, with a 7-foot wingspan, accompanied with a silky smooth jump shot with guard-like handles, you think of Kevin Durant. Well that’s what everyone is saying about the 17-year-old Emoni Bates out of Ann Arbor, Mich.
In fact, these comparisons go back to when Bates was just a preteen. In sixth-grade Bates stood 6-foot-2 and just one year later he would sprout up to 6-foot-6. He first put himself on scouts’ radars in 2016 at an AAU tournament in Chicago.
In this tournament he would average 28 points and 12 rebounds for the Toledo Wildcats, putting himself in the conversation for best middle school basketball player in the nation. His ability as a three level scorer, and his willingness to make plays for others is what intrigued so many scouts as he made his way into high school. He’d even elect to sit out his eighth-grade season specifically to train for his freshman year at Lincoln high school in Ypsilanti.
Bates is now the No. 1prospect on ESPN’s top 100 for the recruiting class of 2022. His resume as a high school athlete is only rivaled by names that you’d hear on the list of top NBA players of all-time, like a LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.
A freshman in the 2018-19 season, Bates immediately got off to a hot start posting 32 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Ann Arbor Huron high school in his debut. The same season he would score a career high 43 points against Ypsilanti community high school and would go on to win the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Southeastern Conference division title, and a state championship against Detroit U-D Jesuit high school.
Bates made history in 2020 becoming the first sophomore ever to win Gatorade National Player of the Year. He averaged 32.3 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.1 steals on the season, showcasing his overall ability on the hardwood. He would also win Michigan AP Division one player of the year, MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year, and Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year.
As a junior Bates would elect to transfer to Ypsilanti Prep Academy which is a basketball academy created by his father, Elgin Bates. The school is a first of its kind type of program, instead of it being a prep-school, it’s more like an academic-based basketball training institution.
The only catch is that since this is still a unique type of process being that this academy is not sanctioned under MHSAA guidelines, therefore they cannot compete in games within MHSAA territory. This would also mean that competing for national championship games was no longer a possibility.
Despite this, Emoni would still be given the opportunity to broaden the spectrum of his game by facing more notable stars across the country like sophomore Bronny James and Chet Holmgren, a five-star senior who will play for the Gonzaga Bulldogs this fall.
In a shortened season due to the pandemic, Bates now standing at 6-foot-9, would compile a 7-3 record on his new squad while averaging 23 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.2 steals.
Now that Bates is heading into his final season of high school basketball, people are becoming more anxious to see what his next decision will be in his professional career. College for one year is the typical route, but in recent years players have chosen to forgo college to focus exclusively on the NBA draft.
In August of 2020, Bates committed to Michigan State with much of that decision coming from the influence of legendary Coach Tom Izzo.
This year however, he decommitted from MSU to open his options for other schools and professional opportunities like the NBA’s developmental league (G-League) or playing overseas.
One thing is for sure, Bates’ upcoming season will be special, but it will leave more questions than answers on what the future may hold for this young star.
