By ADAM ZAGORIA
NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Emoni Bates, the star 6-foot-9 forward from Michigan, says he’s down to eight options, three of which are professional leagues and five of which are colleges.
Bates is considering the NBA G League, Overtime Elite and the Australian NBL among pro options, and Oregon, Memphis, Michigan State, Baylor and Miami among college options, according to Joe Tipton. Bates decommitted from Michigan State in April.
Hyped early as the next Kevin Duran when he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Bates hasn’t quite lived up to that so far but remains a very talented player. On Wednesday night at Peach Jam, he went for 22 points while leading Bates Fundamental to a win over Bronny James and Strive for Greatness. On Thursday, he scored 35 points with six rebounds in a loss to Nightrydas.
Bates won’t be eligible for the NBA Draft until 2023 so will spend the next two seasons at one of the above locations — assuming he reclassifies to 2021 from 2022. One source close to Bates said, “All options are open.”
“Let’s just put it like this,” his father Elgin said last month, “whatever options that are available to him, we will lay them out and present them to him, but the ultimate decision is his.
If the G League is something he wants to do, if he decides that’s what he wants to do, that’s perfectly fine. He can do the G League. If Michigan State is what he wants to do, that’s perfectly fine. If he wants to entertain going overseas, that’s perfectly fine. If he just wants to sit out and train for a year, it’s whatever he wants to do. It’s his decision.”
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