Emoni Bates hasn't determined whether or not he's going to college quite yet. The top-ranked overall prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle will have a slew of professional options.
But if he opts to play college basketball, he'll do so in East Lansing, Michigan. Bates, a Ypsilanti native, committed to play for Michigan State during a surprise SportsCenter appearance on Monday afternoon. He even shocked the Spartans' staff, which didn't know he was committing until earlier in the day, per The Athletic's Brendan Quinn.
"As I do know right now, I will be committing to Michigan State University."
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 29, 2020
Emoni Bates, ESPN's No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2022, announced on SportsCenter that he will be heading to East Lansing. pic.twitter.com/WdrG7R5tpc
Many analysts view Bates as the best high-school player since Lebron James. And no, it's not hyperbole.
Just watch.
In all likelihood, Bates won't ever play a second of college basketball. He told ESPN in the spring that "it's a go" if he's able to jump straight from high school to the NBA. As of now, unlike when James came out of St. Vincent-St. Mary, high-schoolers are barred from going directly to the NBA.
But if he ends up at Michigan State for a season, he'd be the Big Ten's most talented player in a long, long time.
