Emoni Bates, the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2022 class, backed off his longtime commitment to Michigan State over the weekend, and the story dominated the recruiting headlines for a handful of days. Following his announcement, Bates said he intends to explore both college and professional options before making a decision on his future.
The professional route is certainly the well-established favorite, but a handful of schools have reached out to Bates since he returned to the recruiting market. Below, Rivals ranks the contenders to land the celebrated five-star.
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More: Top 2022 prospect Emoni Bates backs off Michigan State pledge
2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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1. A PROFESSIONAL TEAM
Even when Bates was committed to Michigan State, the professional route was always a possibility and the likely front-runner. Most close to five-star wing have never really entertained the thought of seeing the super prospect play a year in college, so the pledge to Tom Izzo and the Spartans always felt like a placeholder or backup plan of sorts. There’s also long been a level of buzz surrounding a possible reclassification that would see Bates join the 2021 class, but the chances of that actually taking place fade by the day. Under current NBA eligibility rules, Bates will not be eligible to be drafted by the NBA until 2023, so the G League or another pro circuit is the likely outcome.
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2. TEXAS
The first program to offer Bates following his decommitment, Texas would provide Bates with a major stage and a proven head coach in Chris Beard. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reported mutual interest between the two sides over the weekend, but that’s the extent of the smoke so far. The link between Texas and Bates isn’t particularly surprising, as 6-foot-8 wings has long been compared to former Longhorn superstar Kevin Durant. This is certainly an avenue Bates will explore, even if he never sets foot in Austin.
3. TENNESSEE
Like Texas, Tennessee jumped to offer Bates shortly after he hit the market. The link between the Vols and the high school star can also be traced back to Durant, whom current Tennessee coach Rick Barnes coached as a Longhorn. Durant thrived in his freshman season under Barnes, averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds per game on his way to national player of the year honors and one of the best seasons by a college player in recent history. Barnes and Durant remain close to this day, which should appeal to Bates, who will be looking for a trustworthy landing spot should he elect to play a year in college.
4. A PROGRAM THAT HAS NOT OFFERED YET
Calling this situation a long shot is understating the point, but who knows? Strange things happen in the recruiting world every day. Bates has been lightly recruited for a prospect of his ability due to the fact that most college coaches see sinking much effort into landing him as a waste of resources. Recruiting against professional money is a losing proposition, after all. That said, a last minute change of heart could set some school up to get the steal of a lifetime. Is it likely? Not whatsoever. Is it possible? Of course. It’s recruiting.
