Emoni Bates entering 2023 NBA Draft after 2 seasons in college

Emoni Batesis entering the NBA draft, banking on teams being intrigued withhispotential as a scorerafter seeing flashes of his talentin two seasons of college basketball.

Bates made theannouncementMonday on social media.

“What I beendreaming for my whole life,” he posted on Instagram.

The 6-foot-10wing averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds in 30 games at EasternMichigan last season, making 40.5% of his shots overall and 33% of3-point attempts.

“I’m excitedfor Emoni and his future,” Eagles coach Stan Heath told TheAssociated Press. “He is a talented young player who worksextremely hard and is passionate to be successful.”

Aftergraduating from high school in three years and being regarded as abasketball prodigy, Bates went to Memphis for one season andaveraged 9.7 points in 18 games during an injury-shortened season.He transferred to play for the school in his hometown of Ypsilanti,Michigan.

“I know hewill continue to improve and mature as he continues the journey,”Heath said. “There is no question his best basketball is ahead andI support him on his decision.”

Bates willspend the next couple of months working out for NBA teams andanswering their questions about his life on and off the court.

LastSeptember, he was charged with two felonies — carrying a concealedweapon and “altering ID marks” — after a traffic stop and wassuspended by Eastern Michigan as a student and basketball player.His attorney said the vehicle and the gun didn’t belong toBates.

Bates wassentenced in December to 18 months of probation after pleadingguilty to a misdemeanor gun charge, a conviction that will beexpunged from his record if he completes probation successfully. Hewas reinstated to the school and basketball team in October afterprosecutors agreed to drop felony charges against him.

Bates bouncedback as a basketball player and at times during his sophomoreseason, showed some of the skills that made him the first sophomorehigh school basketball player to win theGatoradenational player of the year awardand landed him on thecover of Sports Illustrated.

He scored 29straight points for Eastern Michigan in the first half of a losslast season at Toledo, where he finished with career highs inpoints (43) and 3-pointers (nine) after making 15 of 23 shots.

In 2019 as ahigh school freshman, the slender and skilled guard led YpsilantiLincoln to a state title and was named Michigan’s Division 1 Playerof the Year by The Associated Press. His sophomore season was cutshort by the COVID-19 pandemic and he attended Ypsi Prep Academy asa junior, his final year of high school.

Batesinitially committed to playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Helater de-committed and signed with Memphis and coach PennyHardaway.