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Editor s note: This story has been updated with statistics from the game. Ypsilanti Prep Academy met SPIRE Institute for the second time this season Saturday, but this time, Emoni Bates took the court. Bates, a five-star junior committed to Michigan State basketball, scored 30 points after a delayed entrance in the 85-79 win in Ann Arbor. Coaches had previously been unsure if Bates would play Saturday due to a hand injury. But near the beginning end of the second quarter, the 6-foot-9 forward shed his hoodie and took the court. We were holding off, as a precaution because he does have a finger that s kind of jam/sprained, coach Corey Tucker said. But he decided to get out there and give it a go. He wanted to go one last round with his brothers. ....
On the day Ypsilanti Prep Academy won its first game without Emoni Bates, a marquee matchup involving the new Michigan-based basketball team became publicized. Bates, a five-star Michigan State basketball commit, and Mikey Williams, an undecided five-star sophomore, could share the floor when Ypsi Prep meets Lake Norman Christian (North Carolina) on Feb. 6. Ypsi Prep is hoping Bates can play after he was injured in a game vs. Elevation Prep in Ohio last week. The Feb. 6 matchup, broadcast on Fox Sports platforms, is part of the Battle Basketball Showcase, the latest two-game event planned for limited public attendance at Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Dorman High School, repeat state champions, will play another local team at the event, but those details are not yet available. Ypsi Prep and Bates headlined the last Battle Showcase Jan. 9 in Fort Worth, Texas a nationally televised game vs. Air Nado and Michigan basketball recuirt Frankie ....
Western Michigan, Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan hoops fans may want to tune into Tuesday s game, as Cli Ron Hornbeak, a 6-foot-9 St. Francis senior, is committed to play for Kent State next season. St. Francis has had high-profile Power Five players in recent years but this season is led by Hornbeak and Feisal Crumby. Hornbeak is known for his power and size, combined with a nice shooting touch. He averaged a double-double last season and emerged as a No. 1 option on his club team this past offseason. Crumby is a 6-foot senior guard whose highlights reveal a scrappy defender with a nice 3-point shot. ....
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. ....