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Emoni Bates' NBA draft projection could possibly skyrocket after his awaited return to the court. Bates was arrested in September for running past a stop sign and having possession of a gun in his vehicle. After a couple of months of suspension, Bates made his debut for the Eastern Michigan Eagles.
Emoni Bates made his debut on Saturday, November 12, against the Michigan Wolverines. He made a spectacular debut as he finished the game with 30 points and five rebounds. He shot 63.1% from the field, including 50% from long range. A sweet return for the former top prospect in high school.
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What is Emoni Bates' NBA Draft projection?
Emoni Bates was one of the top recruiters in the country during his sophomore year of high school. He was the first sophomore to ever win Gatorade National Player of the Year and at 16, he appeared to be one of the top high school players in the world.
According to ESPN, Bates was reclassified from the 2022 class, where he was the top recruit, to the 2021 class, where he was ranked third. He entered college at the age of 17 to play for Memphis. Since he is too young to be selected for the 2022 NBA Draft, he is expected to play two seasons of collegiate basketball.
With that in mind, we can expect Emoni Bates to enter the NBA Draft in 2023. According to Sports Illustrated, Bates' draft projection shows that he could get drafted late in the first round or first in the second round. The reason behind Bates' underwhelming draft expectations is due to his struggles as a freshman in college.
Bates, a 17-year-old freshman, struggled in his debut season of collegiate basketball, averaging just 9.7 points on 38.6% shooting, and 2.3 turnovers per game.
According to ESPN, he then decided to transfer to Eastern Michigan in his hometown of Ypsilanti. After witnessing a magnificent performance from the young Bates last weekend, his draft projection could see a rise.
The key to Bates' NBA Draft success will now depend on how he performs in his second college season. If he can manage to shine bright in every game as he did on Saturday, there's a chance he could be an early first-round pick if not the top pick.
