Father of Emoni Bates updates son’s status ahead of UCF game

When Memphis takes on UCF on Saturday, it’ll be without one of its top scorers.

Emoni Bates won’t play in the game due to a back injury, his father told CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander. Bates hasn’t played since the Tigers’ Jan. 27 game against East Carolina, and his father cited the back issue as the reason.

“Elgin Bates tells CBS Sports that Emoni Bates will not play in Memphis’ game vs. UCF tonight,” Norlander tweeted in a thread. “Bates has ‘biomechancial’ issues in his lower back, and has one more appt today before returning to Memphis. His specialist has been in communication with Memphis’ doctors.

“Elgin Bates said Emoni’s lower back issue ‘can be corrected with treatment’ and cites that Emoni has grown an inch and a half since Memphis’ pro day in the fall. Will travel back to Memphis on Sunday. Emoni’s availibility to next play for the Tigers remains to-be-determined.”

The freshman standout is third on the Tigers in scoring this year, averaging 10.4 points in 25.4 minutes per game. He was a five-star recruit and the No. 1 prospect in Michigan from the Class of 2021, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Earlier this week, he posted a picture on Instagram in a Memphis jersey with “Patience” as the caption and gifted the whole team shoes.

The Tigers are 11-8 overall and 5-4 in American Athletic Conference action this year. Tip-off between Memphis and UCF is coming up Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Report: Emoni Bates’ father refutes story on son’s future with Memphis

Elgin Bates, the father of Memphis Tigers forward Emoni Bates, has refuted a report that the freshman’s future with the team is in question, per Jason Munz of Memphis News.

The initial report from Jake Fischer alleged that Bates’ tenure with the Tigers could be nearing an end despite having not finished his first season in Memphis. Fischer did not provide any additional details in his reporting as to why Bates’ season with Memphis is in peril.

“Sources: Emoni Bates will not play in Memphis’ game at Cincinnati on Thursday, as his future with the program has suddenly come into question,” Fischer wrote, continuing that the freshman “has been projected as a 2023 NBA Draft prospect and had previous contact with OTE and overseas opportunities.”

However, the story from Munz tells a much different story; instead, Bates’ father, Elgin, says that the Memphis freshman merely is battling injury.

“I have spoken with Elgin Bates, Emoni’s father,” Munz wrote on Twitter. “He tells me Emoni has been dealing with back pain for the past 3 weeks and has an appointment this week to see a specialist about it. ‘I have no clue what that’s about,’ Elgin Bates said.”