OT: Emoni Bates from Memphis and Ypsilanti enters the portal
i don’t want him here. I don’t think he’s looking here. Just sad to see his career progression so far. I hope he figures things out and gets back on the NBA track.
Should go to the Ignite if they’ll take him.
Regardless, he has a lot of red flags already that would make any NBA team a bit nervous drafting him - alligator arms (shorter wingspan that height), frail frame that probably can’t support a lot more weight, and average athleticism. Obviously, he can’t fix these problems, but he can overcome them somewhat by becoming a really smart and instinctual player - something he didn’t show at Memphis or in high school.
April 16th, 2022 at 10:17 PM ^
Alex Legion part deux.
April 16th, 2022 at 11:02 PM ^
Emoni’s Dad did him so wrong. He saw that all the top players were going to places like Spire, Montverde, IMG, etc. and wanted to be a part of that to build Emoni and his brand. The thing is, Bates didn’t need to go that route. He could have stayed at Ypsi Lincoln for 4 years and left as probably the most decorated player in the MHSAA since Webber.
Instead, the egos became too big and we have ended up where we are now. Anyone who saw Bates as a freshman would agree he was worth the hype and then some. There were people who were plugged in with scouts who said he would have been a top 15 pick as a 15 year old if eligible.
It sadly seems he has become more Shabazz Muhammad than Cade Cunningham
April 16th, 2022 at 11:23 PM ^
Shabazz killed it his only year in college and was a first round pick. I’m not sure I see that comparison.
I find it a shame that a lot of people are hating on an 18-year-old kid whose biggest sin was...hubris? Getting bad advice from a parent? Being a one-time Spartan commit?
I hope he kills it this year (just not against Michigan if we face him) just to spite all of the jerk wads on here.
Sure seems like most commenters are hating on his dad and not on the kid himself.
You hate to see it.
From a number of important perspectives-from Emoni's side, Michigan, with Juwan and his staff, would likely be one of the best places for Emoni.
Maybe right, a guy like Juwan who was a high profile recruit (though in a different era) and having his kids be high profile recruits (though not “next LeBron” level hype) may understand this. Juwan has seen it all done in all. That said personally I don’t want the potential headache, Michigan basketball is in a fine spot as it is.
Sad times indeed
I really wanted to be a fan of Bates. The next big thing in basketball being a kid out of Michigan seemed like a pretty fun thing to get behind. It has been said ad nauseum in here that his dad really did him dirty and I will certainly echo that.
Watching Emoni's games at that prep school was a train wreck. Not sure if I had seen a more disrespectful player than Bates. Entitlement and hubris may have been too light of words for his on court demeanor. Screaming at everyone all game, on both teams. Would lose track of how many on-court entanglements he could get into; seemed like once a half he would shove someone or get in a scuffle that needed to be broken up.
I hope he has been working on the mental side of the game (and life) as much if not more so than the physical part. The talent and skill are still there but they need the mind to follow for this to be something more than a cautionary tale told to the next anointed star.
He’s G-League bound for sure. No reason to go to play school when there are better options for him. He picked the worst school possible for development. Penny is snake oil salesman. He made a huge mistake taking his talents to Memphis. I’m not a big fan of the kid but he has talent and needs the right people around him to get in a good situation and develop himself into an NBA player. Which by most who have seen the kid play believe he is headed.