After his decommitment from Michigan State in late April, Emoni Bates announced his commitment to the University of Memphis on Wednesday. He chose Memphis over Oregon, Michigan State, and the NBA G League Ignite team.
In early August, Bates decided to reclassify into the class of 2021 and will now suit up for Memphis this upcoming season. The Michigan native is ranked as the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 prospects in the class of 2021, according to ESPN, Rivals, and 247 Sports.
His commitment gives Penny Hardaway and the Tigers the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, according to 247 Sports’ rankings. Four-star recruits Josh Minott and Jonathan Lawson will also headline their recruiting class.
Bates’ decision will reunite him with his former teammate Jalen Duren, another five-star recruit that reclassified into 2021 and committed to Memphis this month. For a short period over the summer, Bates played alongside Duren for Team Final on the Nike EYBL AAU circuit before returning to his former team.
Prior to reclassifying, Bates and Duren were the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 prospects in the class of 2022. The last time college basketball had witnessed the top two recruits in their respective class team-up was in 2018 with Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett.
Since his junior year of high school, Emoni Bates had already been labeled as a “generational talent” by many and was considered the best prospect in the country regardless of class. He became the only sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award and has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant over the years. His three-level scoring, shot-making talent, and lean body frame will make him one of the most polarizing players in college basketball.
Unlike Duren, Bates won’t be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, forcing him to possibly play another college basketball season or play elsewhere before entering the 2023 NBA Draft.
Entering next season, all eyes should be on Memphis basketball as they’ve now become must-see TV and a potential Final Four team.
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