Emoni Bates

Emoni James-Wayne Bates (born January 28, 2004) is a high school basketball player who attends Ypsi Prep Academy in Ypsilanti, Michigan. A small forward, he stands 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 m) and weighs 205 pounds (93 kg). He is a consensus five-star recruit and the number one player in the 2022 recruiting class. Bates is committed to play college basketball for Michigan State. Analysts have called him the best high school prospect regardless of class.

Emoni Bates
Bates with Lincoln High School in December 2019
No. 21 – Ypsi Prep Academy Ballboys
PositionSmall forward
Personal information
Born (2004-01-28) January 28, 2004
Ann Arbor, Michigan
NationalityAmerican
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight205 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeMichigan State (commit)
Career highlights and awards

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Bates was viewed as a top prospect since middle school. As a freshman at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, he led his team to a state championship while earning Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year honors. In his following season, Bates became the first sophomore to win the Gatorade National Player of the Year boys' award. For his final two years of high school, he moved to Ypsi Prep Academy, a new prep school created by his father.

Early life and career

Bates was born in the University of Michigan hospital in Ann Arbor.[1] He began playing basketball from age three,[2] often sleeping with a miniature basketball under his arm and dribbling around his house.[3] In his childhood, Bates trained for basketball with his father, a former professional player, by shooting around and improving his agility through various drills. In fourth grade, he played against high school seniors at a rec league in Saline, Michigan and started competing on the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) circuit.[2][4] Bates also played soccer while in elementary school.[4]

Bates first surfaced on the national radar in early 2016, after averaging 28 points and 12 rebounds per game for the Toledo Wildcats AAU team at a tournament in Chicago.[5] He grew from 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) to 6 feet 6 inches (1.98 m) from sixth to seventh grade.[2] Bates played basketball for Clague Middle School, where as a seventh-grader, he was rated the number one player in the 2022 class by recruiting website Future150.[5] He averaged 46 points per game in seventh grade and sat out his eighth grade season to train individually. In the summer of 2018, Bates averaged 17 points per game facing older competition at the under-15 division of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (EYBL), a notable summer circuit.[6]

High school career

Freshman season
Bates with Bates Fundamentals at the Nike EYBL in May 2019

Bates enrolled at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, being drawn there because the head basketball coach, Jesse Davis, was a longtime teammate and friend of Bates' father.[7] On November 26, 2018, Bates made his freshman season debut, recording 32 points and 15 rebounds in an 80–69 win over Ann Arbor Huron at the Ypsilanti Tip-Off Classic.[8] On January 18, 2019, he scored a then career-high 43 points, shooting 13-of-27 from the field, in a 68–56 victory over Ypsilanti Community High School.[9] Bates, on February 5, was ejected and suspended one game for his role in an altercation during a game versus Dexter High School.[10] On February 18, he posted 36 points and 19 rebounds in a 73–65 win over Jackson High School to capture the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Southeastern Conference White division title.[11]

On March 7, he led all scorers with 36 points and made the game-winning shot in an 81–79 victory over Detroit Catholic Central High School, as Lincoln claimed its first regional championship.[12] Nine days later, Bates guided Lincoln to its first MHSAA Division 1 state title after scoring 23 points in a 64–62 win over top-seeded University of Detroit Jesuit High School and Academy.[13] He finished the season averaging 28.5 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, helping his team to a 23–4 record.[14] Bates was named Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.[14][15] He also earned Associated Press (AP) Division 1 Player of the Year and All-State first team honors.[16] Mick McCabe of the Detroit Free Press labeled Bates as the "best freshman to ever play in Michigan,"[17] while Evan Daniels of 247Sports mentioned him as possibly the best high school prospect since LeBron James.[18]

Sophomore season
Bates shoots a free throw for Lincoln High School in December 2019.

Entering his sophomore season, Bates appeared on the cover of the November 4, 2019 issue of Sports Illustrated.[19] In his season debut, he scored 24 points but was held to 6-of-21 shooting in a loss to River Rouge High School.[20] On January 17, 2020, Bates scored 40 points in a 67–38 victory over Dexter High School.[21] He tallied 42 points on January 27 in an 83–56 win over Jackson High School. During the game, Bates wore a number 24 jersey to honor his childhood idol, Kobe Bryant, who had died in a helicopter crash in the previous day.[22] On February 18, he established new career-highs of 63 points and 21 rebounds in a 108–102 double overtime victory over Chelsea High School.[23] Three days later, Bates recorded 40 points and 12 rebounds in a 67–60 overtime win over Ypsilanti Community High School.[24] On March 5, he had 48 points and 13 rebounds to lead his team past Catholic Central High School by a score of 79–48.[25]

On March 9, during a win over Pioneer High School in the first round of the state playoffs, Bates was involved in a skirmish that resulted in a double technical foul and the ejection of an opposing player.[26] He was unable to help Lincoln defend its Division 1 state title after the MHSAA suspended winter postseason tournaments due to the coronavirus pandemic.[27] As a sophomore, he averaged 32.3 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 2.1 steals per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range, and led his team to a 19–3 record.[28] Bates was recognized as Gatorade National Player of the Year, becoming the first sophomore to win the boys' version of the award,[lower-alpha 1] as well as MaxPreps National Sophomore of the Year.[30][31] He was named Michigan AP Division 1 Player of the Year and Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year for a second straight season.[32][33]

Junior season

Before his junior season, Bates announced that he would transfer to Ypsi Prep Academy, a new prep school in Ypsilanti created by his father, for his final two years of high school.[34]

Recruiting

Bates is a consensus five-star recruit and the number one player in his 2022 class, according to major recruiting services.[35] He received a scholarship offer from NCAA Division I program DePaul in eighth grade.[1] After his freshman season in high school, Bates was offered by Michigan State, Michigan and Duke.[36][37][38] By then, he was being touted by analysts and scouts as the top high school basketball prospect regardless of class.[39]

On June 29, 2020, during a live interview on SportsCenter, Bates announced his commitment to play college basketball for Michigan State.[40] He was drawn to the program by head coach Tom Izzo and the school's coaching staff, who had been building a relationship with him since he was in seventh grade. Bates became the highest rated recruit to commit to Michigan State in the modern recruiting era.[34]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Emoni Bates
SF		 Ypsilanti, MI Ypsi Prep Academy (MI) 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jun 29, 2020 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 98
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 1  247Sports: 1  ESPN: 1
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Michigan State 2022 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  • "2022 Michigan State Spartans Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
  • "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 29, 2020.

    Personal life

    Bates' father, Elgin "E. J." Bates, played NCAA Division II basketball for Kentucky Wesleyan and played professionally for five years in Germany and Switzerland.[41] E. J. manages the basketball training organization Bates Fundamentals and coaches its affiliated AAU team, which Emoni has played for.[41][42] Bates' mother, Edith Bates, works for the American Red Cross and as a logistics supervisor for the United Parcel Service.[3]

    Footnotes
    1. The first player to win the Gatorade award as a sophomore was Azzi Fudd, who won the girls' award in 2019.[29]

    References
    1. Lage, Larry (September 21, 2017). "The Next One? 13-Year-Old Hoops Phenom Takes Us On A Journey". WWJ-TV. Associated Press. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    2. Goricki, David (January 27, 2017). "Michigan's Bates is hoops prodigy, nation's No. 1 7th-grader". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    3. Niyo, John (December 26, 2018). "Can 'relentless' freshman Emoni Bates jump straight to NBA?". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    4. McCabe, Mick (February 15, 2019). "Here's how Emoni Bates became best freshman basketball player in U.S." Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    5. "Meet the Ypsilanti basketball phenom who has America on notice". USA Today High School Sports. February 8, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    6. Jordan, Jason (October 6, 2018). "USA Basketball: 2022 wing Emoni Bates navigates through early hype". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    7. Farrell, Perry A. (July 8, 2018). "Why top basketball prospect Emoni Bates will attend Ypsilanti Lincoln". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    8. Zuke, Ryan (November 27, 2018). "Ypsilanti Lincoln's Emoni Bates, nation's top-ranked freshman, scores 32 in debut". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    9. Zuke, Ryan (January 19, 2019). "Lincoln's star freshman Emoni Bates scores career-high 43 in win over Ypsilanti". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    10. Zuke, Ryan (February 11, 2019). "Ypsilanti Lincoln standout Emoni Bates set for return after suspension". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    11. Goricki, David (February 19, 2019). "Freshman phenom Emoni Bates helps Ypsilanti Lincoln clinch SEC White championship". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    12. Zuke, Ryan (March 7, 2019). "'Superman' Emoni Bates hits another game-winner for Lincoln's 1st regional title". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    13. McCabe, Mick; Sulonen, Dana (March 16, 2019). "Emoni Bates after state title victory: 'I've got three more to win'". USA Today High School Sports. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    14. Divens, Jordan (April 19, 2019). "2018-19 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Freshman All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    15. Paul, Tony (March 19, 2019). "Ypsilanti Lincoln freshman Emoni Bates named Michigan's Gatorade player of the year". The Detroit News. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    16. Zuke, Ryan (March 28, 2019). "Meet the Associated Press Division 1 boys basketball all-state team". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    17. McCabe, Mick (March 15, 2019). "Emoni Bates proves why he's the best freshman to ever play in Michigan". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    18. Daniels, Evan (May 11, 2019). "Is Emoni Bates the best high school prospect since LeBron?". 247Sports. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    19. Rosenberg, Michael (October 29, 2019). "Magic, Michael, LeBron ... Emoni Bates? Meet the 15-Year-Old Next in Line". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
    20. Goricki, David (December 10, 2019). "Monday's preps: River Rouge upstages Ypsilanti Lincoln, Emoni Bates". The Detroit News. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
    21. Wickliffe, Greg (January 17, 2020). "Watch Emoni Bates explode for 40 points in win over Dexter". MLive. Retrieved January 25, 2020.
    22. Thomas, Chris (January 28, 2020). "Phenom Emoni Bates wears No. 24 to honor Kobe Bryant, scores 42 points". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved January 29, 2020.
    23. Yashinsky, Joey (February 18, 2020). "Emoni Bates has 63 points, 21 rebounds to lead Ypsilanti Lincoln in 2OT win". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
    24. Wickliffe, Greg (February 21, 2020). "Emoni Bates has notable encore performance in overtime win against rival Ypsilanti". MLive. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    25. Wickliffe, Greg (March 5, 2020). "Emoni Bates' 48-point double-double leads Lincoln to dominant win over GR Catholic Central". MLive. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    26. Wickliffe, Greg (March 9, 2020). "Emoni Bates, Lincoln maintain emotions after scrum to top Pioneer in district opener". MLive. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    27. Wickliffe, Greg (March 12, 2020). "Emoni Bates' father agrees with MHSAA's decision: 'Kids' safety comes first'". MLive. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    28. Wickliffe, Greg (March 26, 2020). "Emoni Bates named finalist for Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year". MLive. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
    29. "2018–2019 Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year: Azzi Fudd". Stokely-Van Camp. Retrieved October 22, 2020.
    30. Borzello, Jeff (April 14, 2020). "Sophomore Emoni Bates wins Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award". ESPN. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
    31. Divens, Jordan (April 1, 2020). "MaxPreps 2019-20 Boys Basketball Sophomore All-American Team". MaxPreps. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
    32. Wickliffe, Greg (March 13, 2020). "Emoni Bates repeats as Gatorade Michigan boys basketball Player of the Year". MLive. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
    33. Wickliffe, Greg (April 9, 2020). "Emoni Bates adds 2nd straight AP Division 1 Player of the Year award to list of accolades". MLive. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
    34. Borzello, Jeff; Schlabach, Mark (June 29, 2020). "Emoni Bates, 2022 top recruit, commits to Michigan State". ESPN. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
    35. "Emoni Bates". ESPN. July 19, 2019. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
    36. Solari, Chris (July 12, 2019). "Michigan State basketball offers scholarship to phenom Emoni Bates". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
    37. Sang, Orion (July 18, 2019). "Michigan basketball offers scholarship to phenom Emoni Bates". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
    38. Giles, Matt (August 22, 2019). "'Six-star' Emoni Bates lands Duke basketball offer, likes Blue Devils". Ball Durham. Retrieved January 24, 2020.
    39. Borzello, Jeff (August 7, 2019). "Why 15-year-old Emoni Bates is basketball's next phenomenon". ESPN. Retrieved August 7, 2019.
    40. Goldberg, Rob (June 29, 2020). "5-Star SF Emoni Bates Commits to Michigan State; Ranked No. 1 in Class of 2022". Bleacher Report. Retrieved June 29, 2020.
    41. Zuke, Ryan. "Get to know Ypsilanti's Emoni Bates, America's top 7th-grade basketball player". MLive. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
    42. Sturgill, Jack (June 2, 2019). "Strong future ahead for Emoni Bates and Ypsilanti Lincoln". The Eastern Echo. Retrieved July 14, 2019.
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