This is almost certainly not the path Emoni Bates thought he would take but here we are. The Ypsilanti, MI native announced earlier today that he's transferring to Eastern Michigan University to suit up for the Eagles during an interview with Joe Tipton of On3.com.
“I'm committing to Eastern Michigan,” Bates told Tipton. “I'm coming home.”
Memphis transfer Emoni Bates has commited to Eastern Michigan, per @on3sports
EMU is in Bates’ hometown, Ypsilanti, Michigan. @brhoops pic.twitter.com/YhsSDVmVKa
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 29, 2022
After just one season with the Memphis Tigers, Bates announced in April that he had entered the transfer portal. In 18 games with Memphis, Bates averaged 9.7 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
And it was last month that Bates had discussed that he was considering Eastern, who finished last season with a lukewarm 10-21 record.
Emoni Bates is taking his talents to Ypsilanti
“People probably look at me crazy because I’m considering Eastern,” Bates said. “But if I went there, I would be like the neighborhood hero. I used to play at Eastern during my high school games when I was at Lincoln, and we used to pack it out every time. That would be crazy for me to be able to bring love to the city.”
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“I look forward to having a bond with my coaches, teammates and staff,” he continued. “Being positive and having the mindset of getting better every day. Just help my teammates get better and just build off each other. And I really want to win. That’s the main goal. That’s what I’m looking into for where I go next.”
Of course, Bates had already committed to playing for head coach Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans before making the decision to reopen his recruitment in April 2021.
