Emoni Bates’ Memphis Visit Causes Social Media Stir

Bates has a top four of Memphis, Oregon, Michigan State and G League Ignite.

Last week, Emoni Bates caused quite the stir when he posted, first via his Instagram story then later on his timeline, that he was indeed at Memphis for a visit.

Earlier this month, Bates announced that he was reclassifying from 2022 to 2021 and named his top four options (Memphis, Oregon, Michigan State and G League Ignite).

Around the same time, Penny Hardaway reeled in the country’s top big Jalen Duren, who also reclassified to 2021 and will play for the Tigers next season.

Duren and Bates ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in 2022 before reclassifying.

Duren’s presence on campus has the rumor mill spinning off the hinges that Hardaway could potentially pull off what could potentially be the best inside-outside duo in college basketball next season, making the Tigers a virtual lock for Hardaway’s’ first NCAA Tournament appearance in his four-year tenure.

RELATED: Jalen Duren talks starting and finishing at the top

Bates joined Duren’s team (Team Final) for half of the summer and never lost a game.

Even as the top two players in the class, with standing room only crowds at every game, both players were devoid of ego and competed like underrated prospects looking to make a name.

Emoni Bates and Jalen Duren made a lethal combination this summer / Hoop Group

Bates even accepted the sixth man role, as a new addition on an established team.

Back in May, Duren told SI that he and Bates had a mutual respect as players and got along great on and off the court, which made their chemistry strong.

SIAA First Team | SIAA Second Team | SIAA Third Team

“He’s a great player and I love what he brings to the table,” Duren said. “He’s just a great competitor. He wants to win at all costs and doesn’t care about anything but that. That’s me too. That’s why it works.” That mentality would mesh well with Memphis’ talented blue-collar personnel, which returns three starters from a team that won the NIT championship last season.

Landers Nolley II (13.1 ppg., 4.1 rpg.), DeAndre Williams (11.7 ppg., 5.8 rpg.), Lester Quinones (9.5 ppg., 5.8 rpg.) and Alex Lomax (6.0 ppg., 4.2 apg.), plus talented transfers Chandler Lawson and Earl Timberlake give Hardaway a legitimate NCAA Tournament contender even without Bates.

That said, the addition of Bates makes the Tigers a favorite to land in New Orleans for the Final Four next year.

Bates’ ability to create his own shot and stretch the defense with marksman-like accuracy from NBA range at his size (6-foot-9) changes the whole offensive scheme for the Tigers.

RELATED: NIL making college route more attractive

Before Duren picked Memphis, the buzz around Bates was all pro, but with NIL serving up major paydays to top college athletes, the college route has become more than a formidable contender to land top high school prospects.

Bates, who visited Oregon after he left Memphis last week, is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. At 17, he isn’t eligible for next year’s, which means he could potentially suit up in college for two seasons.

“I just feel like we have a group of guys that are all locked in on getting better every day and that’s gonna pay off,” Duren wrote in his SI blog last week.

The news on whether or not Bates will be a part of the payday could come as early as this week.