Eastern Michigan's Emoni Bates drafted by Cavaliers at No. 49 overall in NBA draft 2023
Eastern Michigan basketball's Emoni Bates has been drafted No. 49 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2023 NBA draft.
Bates on Thursday became the first player from Eastern Michigan to be drafted into the league since Derrick Dials was taken 52nd overall in 1998.
Bates, a Ypsilanti native, had a tumultuous journey to the league. Once a five-star recruit and the No. 1 ranked player in the class of 2023, Bates finished his college career with a team that finished 11th in the Mid-American Conference.
Bates is a 19-year-old 6-foot-9 forward who managed to shine on the court despite the team’s 8-23 record, averaging 19.2 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. He joins a Cleveland team which made the playoffs last season as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs were exposed in five games by the New York Knicks in the first round of the NBA playoffs, and are in need of two-way wings who can stretch the floor.
Bates in September was arrested on two gun charges — carrying a concealed weapon and altering the identification marks on a firearm — and was suspended from the team for nearly a month. The charges were later dropped in exchange for a misdemeanor and Bates rejoined the team in October.
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Although his college career didn't go the way he had planned, it ultimately served its purpose in getting him to the NBA, just at a lower pick than expected. A projected lottery pick just a few years ago, Bates' less than stellar start in college as well as the issues off the court caused his draft stock to plummet.
A former high school standout at Ypsilanti Lincoln, Bates led his team to its first ever Division 1 state title as a freshman with a 23-point performance back in 2019. He was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated at just 15 years old next to the words "Born For This," where he was compared to Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
Bates decided to finish his high school career at Ypsi Prep, a school created by his father E.J. where he reclassified into the class of 2021 in order to graduate sooner and committed to play at Michigan State.
The Spartans weren't in the cards for Bates, however. He decommitted from MSU and chose instead to play at Memphis where he struggled to adjust to the collegiate level. Bates played in just 18 games for the Tigers and started in just 13, missing 12 games due to a back injury. He finished the season averaging 9.7 points per game and 3.3 rebounds before making the return to his hometown at Eastern.
Bates' numbers drastically improved with EMU. He finished with double-digit points in 25 out of 31 games, including a 46-point performance against Toledo and a 30-point performance against then No. 22 Michigan. This rebound season is likely what salvaged his NBA hopes, but a long road lies ahead for Bates, who will need to prove he still has what it takes to have a career in professional basketball.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Emoni Bates picked by Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 49 in NBA draft
