#21 Emoni Bates: Profile, NBA Draft Projection, Accolades, Stats, & Latest News
Position: Small Forward/Guard
Height: 6′ 9″
Weight: 190 lbs
Class: Sophomore
Hometown: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Emoni Bates is a very talented offensive small forward for the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. Currently in his sophomore season, he is leading the team in both scoring and rebounding, with 20 and 5.9 averages in these statistical categories respectively.
Memphis Struggles
Previously considered one of the top high school recruits in the nation, Emoni Bates college career began at the University of Memphis under coach Penny Hardaway. However, injuries plagued his freshmen season, limiting him to just 18 games and preventing him from reaching his full potential.
Bates ended the season with a disappointing 9.7 PPG average, all while shooting a subpar 38.6% from the field, 32.9% from 3-point range, and 64.6% from the free throw line.
Further compounding his disappointing freshmen season at Memphis was the subpar pro day that Bates participated in on October 21, 2021. Hosted by the University of Memphis, Bates and many other top collegiate prospects competed at various skill competitions to gauge their current athletic build and measurements. Emoni Bates’ vertical jump measured at a disappointing 24.5 inches, while many other of his athletic and body measurements were mediocre compared to many of his peers.
Eastern Michigan
For his sophomore season, Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan, his hometown college team, and has subsequently had a much-improved season. Although the Eagles have struggled mightily with a 4-13 record on the year so far, Bates’ play has raised eyebrows among NBA scouts. Look for Bates’ draft stock to rise significantly if he can continue his impressive offensive play throughout the season.
Why is Emoni Bates Famous?
Bates is famous primarily for 2 different reasons. First, he was considered the top high school basketball player in his class during his freshmen and sophomore seasons at Lincoln High School in Michigan. He led Lincoln to a state championship his freshmen season and won the Gatorade National Player of the Year award during his sophomore season, the first sophomore to ever win this award.
Second, he was arrested on September 18, 2022, for carrying a concealed firearm with altered identification marks on it. Thankfully, Bates took full responsibility for his actions and cooperated with the authorities, resulting in him receiving a very minor sentence of 18 months of probation.
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Bates’ Family
Bates’ father Elgin Bates played Division 2 basketball for Kentucky Wesleyan University, one of the top basketball programs in the country at this level. He also played professionally in Germany and Switzerland for 5 seasons.
Edith, Emoni’s mother currently works for the American Red Cross. Although there has been some “Emoni Bates daughter” inquiries, it is important to note that Bates currently has no children.
Bates’ Age
Born on January 28th, 2004, Bates is currently just 18 years old, making him one of the youngest sophomores in Division 1 college basketball today. He was just 17 years old when he began his college career and will be one of the youngest players drafted in the 2023 NBA Draft if he decides to enter.
2022-2023 Season and Beyond
Bates’ men’s collegiate basketball career will probably come to a close by the end of the 2022-2023 season. Eastern Michigan currently is one of the worst teams in Division 1 men’s basketball and offers Bates little incentive to return.
NBA Draft Projection
Will Bates get drafted? Emoni Bates’ draft status currently puts him as an early 2nd round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, with the opportunity to have a decent career as a scoring threat off the bench. Moreover, as his draft stock begins to rise again with his great individual play, Bates may be able to sneak into the 1st round.
He probably will not have the individual stardom in the league that his early high school career may otherwise have indicated. However, NBA teams are always looking for talented offensive forwards who can score. Emoni Bates highlights do a great job of showing you what he is best known for.
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2022-2023 NCAA Stats
| GAMES PLAYED | 17 |
| MINUTES PER GAME | 33.5 |
| POINTS PER GAME | 20.0 |
| USAGE RATE | 30.3 |
| FIELD GOALS/ATTEMPTS | 6.5-15.4 |
| FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE | 42.4 |
| THREE POINTERS/ATTEMPTS | 2.6-7.5 |
| THREE POINT PERCENTAGE | 34.6 |
| FREE THROWS | 4.4-5.8 |
| FREE THROW PERCENTAGE | 75.5 |
| REBOUNDS PER GAME | 5.9 |
| ASSIST PER GAME | 1.1 |
| TURNOVERS PER GAME | 2.4 |
| STEALS PER GAME | 0.8 |
| BLOCKS PER GAME | 0.4 |
| PERSONAL FOULS | 2.8 |
