By ADAM ZAGORIA
Emoni Bates is returning to his original AAU team, Bates Fundamental, for July and won’t continue to play with the loaded Team Final squad.
The 6-foot-8 Bates made news earlier this summer by joining a Team Final squad that features Jalen Duren and Dereck Lively to win the Southern Jamfest and an event in Albany.
“I’m really enjoying playing with them and really like being around them,” Bates told 247Sports in May. “We are like minded people who have the same goal who want to win games and have fun.”
With Bates back with the Bates Fundamental team, it means the top three players in the Class of 2022 won’t all be on the same team. Duren, ranked No. 1 by 247Sports.com, and Lively, No. 3, continue to star for Team Final.
NBA SCOUTS BUT NO FANS
There should be more parking available at Peach Jam this year since the event is closed to the public due to the pandemic.
The event traditionally draws droves of fans looking to catch young players on the rise. A slew of future NBA players have competed at Peach Jam over the years, most recently including Trae Young, Michael Porter Jr., Andrew Wiggins and Julius Randle, among others.
Still, NBA scouts will be in attendance for the first time along with college coaches. Scouts will get a firsthand look at prospects like Duren, Bates, Lively, Kyle Filipowski of the NY Rens and Dariq Whitehead of Team Durant, among others.
Peach Jam is allowing media, but media are not permitted to do interviews. Peach Jam says it aims to return to the “traditional” format in 2022 with regional events in four locations leading up to Peach Jam.
As things stand now, teams will convene in North Augusta, S.C., early next week and begin playing games there July 12.
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