Emoni Bates

[SpartyNash]

Committed to MSU today. I?m pumped but I?m also not going to take this as a lock. He could always play overseas or go straight to the pros (I thought they?re waiving the one and done rule).

 

[johnny2x2x]

This is huge and yeah, we all realize there's a pretty good chance he won't play in college, but it's huge none the less. And his chances of playing at MSU are really quite high based on how things look with the NBA rules.

Fist, still deciding on reclassifying to 2021 which would make the NBA not an option. Has said he's not interested in the G League at all, he'd rather play 1 year in college.

And perhaps the biggest thing going towards him playing a year in college is he'll be able to sign a shoe deal after the NCAA changes their rules next year, so he could sign a $100 Million Nike deal and play for MSU.

 

[SpartyNash]

This is huge and yeah, we all realize there's a pretty good chance he won't play in college, but it's huge none the less. And his chances of playing at MSU are really quite high based on how things look with the NBA rules.

Fist, still deciding on reclassifying to 2021 which would make the NBA not an option. Has said he's not interested in the G League at all, he'd rather play 1 year in college.

And perhaps the biggest thing going towards him playing a year in college is he'll be able to sign a shoe deal after the NCAA changes their rules next year, so he could sign a $100 Million Nike deal and play for MSU.

This is as happy sports wise as I have been since we beat OSU on senior day 3.5 months ago (which feels like 10 months ago).

 

[Spartanmack]

I'm assigning this a 0% probability - the fact that he's actually committed only means we have to worry less about the last minute disappointment of him committing to dook, ky, Kansas or even Washington. But I've been through way too much disappointment in the past with top 3 recruits to allow myself to get too excited even rule that out, let alone going straight to the NBA. If next year, he can sign a shoe deal and play in the NBA, what's he gain by coming to MSU for a year? I hope he doesn't talk to Deyonta Davis.

 

[gotime909]

If he reclassifies id give him a good chance of playing at msu. If he doesn't, no chance

 

[johnny2x2x]

If he reclassifies id give him a good chance of playing at msu. If he doesn't, no chance

Where's he going to play in 2022 then? The NBA isn't changing the 1 and done rule before then now.

I think it's the NBA or MSU, and the NBA won't be an option unless they change their mind on the 1 and done rule timeline to change. G League would be silly and given he can sign endorsement deals next year would hurt his marketability. Europe is not really in the running.

Seems to good to be true, but if the NBA isn't an option, he'll likely play a year at MSU.

 

[gotime909]

Everything I keep hearing is that the 1 and done rule will be gone soon. So in 2022 hes in the NBA regardless

 

[johnny2x2x]

Everything I keep hearing is that the 1 and done rule will be gone soon. So in 2022 hes in the NBA regardless

Yeah, that?s changed in recent weeks, now it might not be dealt with until 2024 or 2025. I agree that if the NBA is an option he will play in the NBA.

 

[MSUMatt28]

Yeah, my thought all along was 2022 was the last year of One and Done. Meaning I never expected him to play college basketball. But correct it looks like that may not happen now until 2024 or 2025.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Yeah, my thought all along was 2022 was the last year of One and Done. Meaning I never expected him to play college basketball. But correct it looks like that may not happen now until 2024 or 2025.

I'll be thrilled if we get him on campus for 1 season, but think about this, he turned 16 in January, if the NBA keeps their rules in place as is now expected, he won't be eligible for the draft until 2023. So if he decides to reclassify, MSU would get him for 2 seasons, that would be insane!

And this basketball academy he's now attending that his dad started is great for MSU, all the top MSU targets in the state are following him there and we'll have our pick. I also think he'll be able to graduate early if that's what he wants to do.

I was thinking 50-50 yesterday when he committed, after reading some of the experts I think it's more like 70-30 that he plays for MSU. I do think that if the NBA doesn't change their rules he will play 2 more years in high school, but anything is possible.

And who really knows how he'll develop, there's been other young superstars who've come along and never reached their potential, no one is a guaranteed thing. That being said, he's insanely skilled for his age. His handles for a kid 6-9 are nuts, he's Kevin Durant only more advanced at this age. He's an elite shooter with a crazy quick release that is unblockable. He can pass, he can drive, he is a very good defender. He's not an elite athlete yet, but he's a very good one, that's another Durant like trait, Durant wasn't an elite athlete until he developed physically.

Sidebar, how crazy are today's NBA athletes vs yesteryear's? Kevin Durant is viewed as a waif today, really skinny, he's 6-11, 240 lbs, that's about the same size as Bill Laimbeer who was 6-11, 245 lbs. Can you imagine Bill Laimbeer having the skillset that Durant has?

 

[Spartanmack]

I’d take it but I won’t be so thrilled. I’ve been saying this one and done basketball factory stuff is ruining the game and I’m not going to be a hypocrite just because we land a top 3 guy. That combined with the greater than zero probability that izzo will underplay him and the chance that he could still end up a in Europe or the nba or ku or Arizona, etc makes me temper my enthusiasm.

I guess if one and done is the way it is then I’d rather get elite kids than not get them but it’s turning me off from the sport more and more each year.

 

[johnny2x2x]

I?d take it but I won?t be so thrilled. I?ve been saying this one and done basketball factory stuff is ruining the game and I?m not going to be a hypocrite just because we land a top 3 guy. That combined with the greater than zero probability that izzo will underplay him and the chance that he could still end up a in Europe or the nba or ku or Arizona, etc makes me temper my enthusiasm.

I guess if one and done is the way it is then I?d rather get elite kids than not get them but it?s turning me off from the sport more and more each year.

LOL, Bates is compared to Lebron James, can you imagine how fun it would have been to see Lebron James play a year in college? Bates, if he continues to progress, will be an NBA starter level player by the time he gets to MSU (if he gets there). That will be absolute must see TV.

And Max Christie is rumored to be committing to MSU this weekend, another 1 and done.

 

[Spartanmack]

LOL, Bates is compared to Lebron James, can you imagine how fun it would have been to see Lebron James play a year in college? Bates, if he continues to progress, will be an NBA starter level player by the time he gets to MSU (if he gets there). That will be absolute must see TV.

And Max Christie is rumored to be committing to MSU this weekend, another 1 and done.

I can’t really. I’ve seen almost as much of Lebron in high school as I have in the NBA. Other than by reputation, the comparison to Lebron doesn’t mean a whole lot. I have seen a couple minutes of a couple games from a playoff series - might have been the finals or conf finals, and recall that it seemed like he wanted nothing to do with the ball in clutch situations. As much as I can’t stand Jordan I remember thinking for that reason alone, he can’t be the GOAT over Jordan. Granted it’s a very small sample size and maybe Lebron is a clutch player - I have no idea and I can honestly say I don’t care at all that he never played college basketball.

I definitely do remember hearing about Lebron in High school quite a bit and that was before everyone carried the internet around in their pockets and recruiting info was so easily accessible from multiple sites. While I’ve heard of Emoni Bates, the hype isn’t really close from what I can tell.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying I don’t want to see the guy in a Spartan uniform - I’m just half sarcastically saying we’ve had enough disappointment getting hyped about recruits that I’m at the point where I’ll believe it when they’re on campus and academically qualified. And I definitely don’t want MSU to turn into a 1-and-done factory like dook, ky, ku, etc. I think those programs are a farce and they epitomize everything that’s wrong with college sports. I also think mike krooziwoski is about as clean as lance armstrong, a mid 90s MLB slugger or the Jamaican sprinting program.

 

[MSUMatt28]

One and dones are really a double-edged sword. Only the Dukes and Kentucky consistently win with them because they can lump 4 or 5 of them together every single year. At the same time you don't pass up a talent like that, even here. But the other components of the program still need to be there, and we have to see how Izzo coaches that kind of talent, as he doesn't often (ever?) have it.


The Durant comparison is interesting, because though he was great at Texas the one and done stuff there pretty much killed Rick Barnes. Sure Durant was great, but his team was a 5 seed and got bounced in the second round. One and dones later on like Avery Bradley and a few others there would come in, be decent, but not great, and certainly not win anything significant their freshman years, then leave for the NBA and leave a giant hole when they did. Eventually he got fired there since the program couldn't consistently replace them so quickly.

 

[Spartanmack]

When I look at MSU kids after their college careers, I feel differently about the 1-and-dones. When I read about one or think about any of the 4 or even 3 year guys or teams with lots of seniors, I think those guys are Spartans. if I read or hear about Davis or JJJ, I’ll think they kinda are. Same with dook and ky - hurly, Laettner, hill are blue devils. Parker, Cary, etc are just rent-a-devils as far as I’m concerned same for basically anyone to wear a ky Jersey in the Calipari era. I do view our one-and-dones a little differently because I don’t think Izzo has sold his soul for elite 1 year players like k, cal and self have.

After knocking teddy Dupay on his ass at Breslin 7 or 8 months after the dirty play on Cleaves, I consider Randolph a Spartan for sure. Technically, he was there for 2 years though.

 

[johnny2x2x]

https://twitter.com/brandonthachamp/status/1293996128673947655?s=21

 

[gotime909]

He gone

 

[SpartyNash]

https://giphy.com/gifs/5n2fV5Vg58Z3Bceowj

 

[Spartanmack]

Not a big shock that he's not coming but it is a bit surprising that he decommitted. If he's going to the G-League, seems like an unnecessary move. I wonder if he's planning to play a year in college somewhere else.

 

[johnny2x2x]

Not a big shock that he's not coming but it is a bit surprising that he decommitted. If he's going to the G-League, seems like an unnecessary move. I wonder if he's planning to play a year in college somewhere else.

Sounds like a falling out with Izzo to me. But all of the experts moved their crystal balls to Pro ball in the last week. Who knows, but he's not coming to MSU, it had started to look more and more like that for a few months.

This basketball academy that his dad started which seemed like it could be a great thing for MSU ended up being bad for MSU and really bad for the players. They were comically badly coached and Bates basically went a whole year without any development. He's not going to be considered the top player in the country in his own class when the ratings next get updated.

Still a phenom, still a top 10 player, still would have loved him in Green, but he was the next Lebron only if he continued to improve and he hasn't improved at all.

The more I saw him play, the more I could envision Izzo screaming at him and benching him. Shot selection is awful, plays no defense at all, and showboats too much.