Emoni Bates Releases Top Group

Local product Emoni Bates is done at Memphis and is now looking for a new home.

The polarizing Emoni Bates played his freshman season at Memphis last year but it was turbulent and short lived. He's been in the transfer portal since the season ended and now has a top group — and Michigan is in the mix.

The Wolverines, along with Eastern Michigan, DePaul, Seton Hall, Arkansas and Louisville, have made the cut and will continue to recruit the lanky wing man.

“I’ve been knowing Juwan [Howard] since I was in the eighth or ninth grade,” Bates told Joe Tipton. “That’s when I really met him. He’s always been a cool person. He’s cool with some of my family on my dad’s side. I’ve been knowing of him since he won the championship in Miami. Just watching him play at Michigan, go on to the NBA, it was special.”

Bates has been on the national basketball radar since he was a freshman in high school, at least. As a freshman at Ypsilanti Lincoln, Bates won Mr. Basketball and led the Railsplitters to a state championship. Ever since, he was viewed as the crown jewel of his graduating year. He actually reclassified in order to enroll early at Memphis this past season. The 6-9, 190-pounder averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game as a freshman when he should've been finishing up high school. He was actually committed to Michigan State at one point, so if he winds up in Ann Arbor, that would certainly make for some interesting storylines down the road.