Former top recruit Emoni Bates transferring from Memphis

Memphis star freshman Emoni Bates will transfer from the program, he told On3 on Saturday.

“I’d like to thank Coach Penny, my teammates, and the entire coaching staff at the University of Memphis for giving me the opportunity to be a Tiger. Thank you Tiger Nation for embracing me and all of you who supported our team throughout this season. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Bates said in a statement to On3.

In his lone season with the Tigers, the 6-foot-9 small forward averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Bates missed the entire month of February and over half of March due to a back injury.

Bates long held the crown as the No. 1 player in the class of 2022, before reclassifying and heading to Memphis a year early as a 17-year-old.

The journey of Emoni Bates

A couple of years ago, you would’ve never expected to see Emoni Bates suit up in a college uniform, let alone for Penny Hardaway at Memphis. The summer before his junior year of high school began, Bates committed to Tom Izzo and Michigan State. At the time, the Spartans were the only program to consistently recruit the Ypsilanti, Michigan native. Why? Because coaches never actually anticipated him playing a second of college hoops.

Before he even got his driver’s license, Bates was largely considered the “best high school prospect in more than a decade.” Sports Illustrated plastered him on the cover of its magazine with the title: “Emoni Bates: Born For This: Magic, Michael, LeBron… And the 15-Year-Old Who’s Next in Line.” He even drew comparisons to Kevin Durant by age 16. In 2019, when Bates was a sophomore in high school, ESPN ranked the top 25 prospects regardless of class. Bates topped the list, over guys like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Scottie Barnes, Paolo Banchero, and others. 

When Bates de-committed from the Spartans in April of last year, it didn’t come as much of a shock. As mentioned previously, no one really excepted him to play college ball. He kept his recruitment open for several months, and in August, Bates reclassified and narrowed his list to four different options — the G-League, Oregon, Memphis, and Michigan State.

However, during the span of his recruitment being open, there was a major shift in the basketball landscape: the passing of NIL legislation. On July 1st, athletes could profit off of their name, image, and likeness. As you might imagine, the college route became that much more interesting. And for the first time, Bates going to college actually seemed like a possibility.

In the end, Penny Hardaway got it done; making the impossible — possible.

Things didn’t work out for Bates in Memphis, and after eight months of being a Tiger, he will look to find a new home. Will he transfer to another school? Or maybe the G-League, or even the NBL? Wherever he ends up, Bates is not eligible for this year’s NBA draft. The rules states that a player must be 19-years old during the calendar year of the draft. Bates only just turned 18 earlier this year.