Emoni Bates
Updated on 6/3/23. Written by Alan Lu.
Height: 6-9
Weight: 195
College: Eastern Michigan
Classification: Sophomore
Birthdate: 1/28/2004
2023 Top 100 Prospect Rank: 38
Projected Draft Range: Late 1st to 2nd Round
Pros:
Solid scorer off the dribble
Decent shooter
Excels at scoring on off-ball motion plays
Handles the ball well
Adequate rebounder for his size
Adequate defender
Solid athlete
Cons:
Streaky shooter
Can tend to force the issue too much on offense
May be too ball dominant
Not an elite rebounder
Can be undisciplined defensively
Potential character risk, was involved in a major off-court incident
Summary:
Emoni Bates is a very athletic, skilled swingman that has solid all-around skills. He is a scorer that can make shots in a variety of ways, and he also has a lot of range on his shot. He is also a good ball-handler that can ably create shots for himself and others, and he is a rangy defender that can get steals and block shots.
On the downside, he can sometimes try to do too much at times, which can lead him to commit turnovers and fouls. He also really struggled to shoot last year at Memphis, and after he started off playing a good first 3 games of the season, Bates had trouble consistently making shots, and he also missed a lot of time due to a back injury. Bates is a very talented prospect, but he’s struggled to consistently knock down shots last year.
In the offseason, he was arrested on a gun charge and was suspended from his team, but has since been reinstated. Since then, he scored 30 points in his team’s early season loss to Michigan. He’s a tremendously gifted scorer that can shoot the basketball, and he’s put forth some sterling performances on a bad Eastern Michigan team. Currently, he projects to go in the late first to the second round range for the 2023 draft.
Links:
RealGM Profile
NBADraft.Net Profile
Wikipedia Bio
Ann Arbor News’ Article on Bates’ Back Injury
ESPN’s Article on Bates Transferring to Eastern Michigan
Detroit Free Press’ Article That Mentions Bates’ Arrest and Off-Court Incident
ESPN’s Article Mentions Charges Against Bates Set To Be Dismissed, Bates Reinstated to Team
Games Scouted:
11/16/21 Memphis vs. Saint Louis
12/14/21 Memphis vs. Alabama
3/17/22 Memphis vs. Boise State
3/19/22 Memphis vs. Gonzaga
11/11/22 Eastern Michigan vs. Michigan
12/30/22 Eastern Michigan vs. South Carolina
5/18/23 Game 4 of the 2023 NBA Draft Combine
If you use any portion of this material, please credit NBA Scouting Live.
