Follow usThe Ypsilanti native will feature in an intriguing early-season matchup
Emoni Bates, once the No. 1 player in his class, will make his Eastern Michigan debut on Friday in an intriguing early-season matchup with No. 22 Michigan in Detroit.
A one-time Michigan State commit, Bates’ stock dropped a bit before he skipped his senior year of high school and enrolled at Memphis last season.
The Ypsilanti native drew comparisons to Kevin Durant for his height and build as well as his ball handling and shooting ability.
Bates, a player some thought might never step foot on a college campus, started and played heavy minutes each of the first nine games but was inconsistent as Memphis started 5-4.
Injuries limited him the rest of the way. The Tigers played better without him, rallying to make the NCAA Tournament, where they won a game and took No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga to the wire.
He is now on his second after transferring to Eastern Michigan.
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