OT: Nation's #1 HS Frosh (BB) made his debut last night, and he's in Ypsi
Emoni Bates, all 6'8 of him, made his high school debut for Ypsilanti Lincoln last night and proceeded to pour in 34 points and yank down 15 rebounds. The kid is going to be a monster, and he's just down the road!
Normally, this would be cause for excitement almost bordering on panic, but a couple things to consider:
- What are the odds he finishes his HS career in Michigan?
- What are the odds the one-and-done rule is caput by the time he finishes his HS career anyway?
Overall, what are the odds we can get this young man to come down the road and suit up for the maize and blue? Probably as good as any program in the country, but those odds might still be slim.
November 27th, 2018 at 10:59 AM ^
I'm sure he'll do well for Duke.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^
Stop being so cynical. Obviously he will stick with his hometown and go to EMU.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:44 AM ^
He's mentioned that if he goes to college, he'll look at MSU and Kentucky. He has a good chance to be drafted straight out of high school though.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
My friend went to that same highschool over 20 years ago and plays Fortnite with this talented hoopster and says for sure he's coming here. His online name is Najee
November 27th, 2018 at 11:00 AM ^
If you can shoot the 3 and want to learn how to be a great defender (very valuable in today’s NBA) why wouldn’t you want to be the stretch 4 in Coach Beilien’s system?
November 27th, 2018 at 11:16 AM ^
Honest answer? Because the upper echelon of high school basketball players is as dirty as home-made sin and despite the protests of the saintly Coach K I don’t think it’s a coincidence that they keep getting ALL the best players year after fucking year to go there.
Or maybe he just likes likes warm weather.
November 27th, 2018 at 12:11 PM ^
If Coach K's guilt (which I've long assumed) is ever firmly established, I'll be very happy.
November 27th, 2018 at 12:12 PM ^
It's honestly yet to be seen if Duke will continue with their absolutely dominant recruiting. Jeff Capel is gone and they already don't have single player in the top 20 in 2019(which sounds spoiled, but considering their class last year...)
November 27th, 2018 at 11:16 AM ^
Defense is valuable in the NBA because its rare. League is unwatchable.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:47 AM ^
If you think people don't play defense you don't watch the NBA. And guys go to those schools because they are basketball schools. If you are a one and done its not about picking the best coach for 4 years. Its about picking a coach with an offensive system you can pick up and star right away in (which isn't true at Michigan), its about winning championships (which we've gotten close but haven't done), and its about playing in a packed house in front of fans for whom basketball is #1 and basketball players are the kings of campus (that is very much not Crisler and Michigan).
You get one year in college basketball, you think its more fun to play your home games in front of sold out loud crowds at Cameron, Phog Allen, etc. or at a half empty Crisler filled with people more dissapointed by football outcomes than excited for your game?
November 27th, 2018 at 12:02 PM ^
We're a basketball school, so that's good.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
But MSU???
November 27th, 2018 at 12:55 PM ^
You obviously haven't watched the NBA in a decade. That's an absolutely absurd statement.
November 27th, 2018 at 1:28 PM ^
whoa.
there are very few "normal" nba players that don't play defense, and pretty well. when i say "normal" i'm talking about rotation types that don't have elite offensive skills (james harden hasn't defended a guy in weeks)...at that level, if you can't score at will, you'd better play at least some defense or there's no reason to keep you around.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:05 PM ^
I can't shoot the 3 or be bothered with defense. And, stretch sounds like it involves effort...no thanks.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:02 AM ^
Unless both of his parents are Michigan grads who love the shit out of the school and raised him as a fan his entire life he's going to duke or kentucky if he goes to college. I wouldn't worry about it.
November 27th, 2018 at 12:06 PM ^
Don't forget Kansas and Arizona. They have plenty of under the table $$$ to get the top players as well.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:04 AM ^
I think the one and done will be gone soon and it should. This will probably prevent him from being in Maize and Blue.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:11 AM ^
if 'one and done' no longer exists, the odds that he enrolls in ann arbor are approximately zero.
if 'one and done' still exists, the odds that he enrolls in ann arbor are approximately zero.
yes, ypsilanti. he might as well be playing on the moon.
November 27th, 2018 at 11:12 AM ^
Won't even give us a .001% chance?
November 27th, 2018 at 11:38 AM ^
Obligatory Jim Carrey Dumb and Dumber "so you're saying there's a chance" gif goes here.
November 27th, 2018 at 1:29 PM ^
i'd put it at .00051%...and round up to .001%
November 27th, 2018 at 11:23 AM ^
Wonder how much UNC is gonna pay for his services ?
November 27th, 2018 at 11:53 AM ^
Zero dollars. Which is significantly more than I'd pay your sister.
November 27th, 2018 at 5:06 PM ^
Do you even have zero dollars?
November 27th, 2018 at 11:34 AM ^
Know his family, confident Emoni will finish HS in Michigan. He has turned down numerous opportunities to play basketball elsewhere because his family is so important to him. His dad played at Pioneer, his uncle played at Huron.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:11 PM ^
any truth to posts on other sites that say he's a big MSU fan since his Dad supposedly is?
November 27th, 2018 at 12:23 PM ^
The scouts say his game is like Kevin Durant. I’d be surprised if he went to the same high school hall for years. I guarantee he’s going to be recruited by the high school basketball factory prep schools
November 27th, 2018 at 1:06 PM ^
Bold statement
November 27th, 2018 at 12:43 PM ^
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is already on record stating that the one-and-done rule is nearing its end. IIRC they're discussing 2021 or 2022, so impossible to determine at this point if the rollback will affect Bates or not. Regardless, always exciting when the #1 overall player in a class is from Michigan. Super rare. When was the last time it happened? Webber? (I don't recall if Battier was a #1 overall.)
November 27th, 2018 at 1:21 PM ^
Josh Jackson maybe?
November 27th, 2018 at 1:27 PM ^
2022 is the earliest one-and-done will be gone, according to the latest statements by Silver. Ultimately I don’t think it will happen until 2023. It’s something that has to be agreed upon by the league and the players association, and while both sides indicate that they want it, I think it gets pushed back to the next CBA renegotiations, which will begin during the 2022-2023 season.
I’d doubt he comes to Michigan, as he’s already apparently talking about other schools. But I do think he’ll spend a year in college somewhere.
November 27th, 2018 at 2:30 PM ^
It's not like the one and done's will be reabsorbed into the NCAA. IIRC, the NBA is forming another developmental league with higher payscales.
November 27th, 2018 at 3:23 PM ^
Wonder who the UM, MSU, Duke, Kentucky......coaches will be four years from now.
November 28th, 2018 at 1:28 AM ^
Good question. I think Cal won't leave unless he's fired in that time frame. The other ones are getting a little bit older and nearing retirement