After averaging about 25 points a game at Ypsi Prep, Bates has played some on the travel circuit this summer. He and his Ypsi Prep teammates played this winter against some of the top prep teams across the country, including future Michigan guard Frankie Collins and fellow five-star underclassmaen Mikey Willams, who just signed a lucrative NIL deal himself.
The G League produced two NBA lottery picks who skirted the NCAA for the NBA s developmental league. Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga each made $500,000 while performing relatively well in their first year of professional basketball.
In order to be eligible to play at Michigan State, Bates must be enrolled before classes begin on Sept. 1.
Ypsi Prep isn t an Emoni-only show
Bates was off Saturday but still scored 17, hit a few tightly contested shots and threw down a couple dunks. As he struggled to get his jump shot to fall, he deferred more, allowing Dillon Hunter, Jamal Sumlin and JaVaughn Hannah to initiate the offense.
Bates was getting to his spots and getting his usual lift, but the shots just weren t falling.
Obviously, Bates is the star every time he takes the courts, but Saturday s game showed his supporting cast can be more than that if needed.
“Tonight just wasn’t Emoni’s night, right? It ain t gonna be your night every night, you know what I mean, Ypsi Prep coach Corey Tucker said. He’s carried us pretty much every game thus far. Tonight, the guys around him kind of picked him up.