Emoni Bates reveals return to Michigan with MAC transfer destination
Emoni Bates’ collegiate journey is ready for another step as the former Michigan State commit and Memphis forward will transfer to Eastern Michigan.
Bates revealed the next step of his college career via his Instagram stories. Originally a 5-star prospect and one of the top players in the nation for the 2022 recruiting class, Bates reclassified and attended Memphis for the 2021-22 season.
He was limited last season due to injuries but struggled at times when on the floor. Bates averaged 9.7 points per game across 18 appearances and shot just 39% from the field and 33% from 3-point range.
According to Pat Forde with Sports Illustrated, Bates did not draw much interest from Power 5 programs via the transfer portal. Forde also reported that some programs originally interested in Bates had backed off.
Emoni Bates to Eastern Michigan, per his Instagram. Not a lot of interest from high-major programs, from what I was told in recent weeks. Even some programs who had been linked to him had backed off. A remarkable turn of events for him.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) June 29, 2022
The transfer to Eastern Michigan does present Bates with a homecoming of sorts. However, it will be interesting to see if that homecoming helps him develop into an NBA draft pick in the future.
