Emoni Bates, No. 4 Overall Recruit, Announces His Commitment

Emoni Bates has finally released his highly-anticipated college decision.

On Wednesday evening, the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit announced his decision to attend the University of Memphis — joining Penny Haraway’s stacked 2021 class.

Bates, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward, was named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year after averaging 33.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals per game for Lincoln High School in 2019-20. He later transferred to Ypsi Prep Academy we played the final season of his high school basketball career.

With his decision to join the Tigers, Bates leaves behind his other top-three options: Michigan State, Oregon and the G-League. The former 2022 No. 1 recruit de-committed from the Spartans back in April before announcing his decision to reclassify earlier this month.

Prior to Bates’ decision, Memphis already boasted a five-star recruit in No. 5 overall prospect Jalen Duren, who also reclassified from the 2022 class. This incoming dynamic duo has propelled the Tigers’ 2021 class to the No. 5 overall ranked recruiting class in the nation.

With this elite incoming talent, Memphis will likely earn a preseason top-10 designation — putting pressure on Hardaway and his squad to make an NCAA tournament run.

While Bates would normally be considered a no-doubt one-and-done player, eligibility rules may keep him in the NCAA system for an extra season. At just 17 years old, Bates would not be eligible for the NBA draft at the end of the year.

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