6/15/2023 0 Comments Imani bates![]() Bates is most comfortable with the ball in his hands and can find teammates or create his own shot. It will be interesting to see how Kenny Payne uses Bates but, given the current roster, Bates will be given the opportunity to handle the ball and run offense. ![]() He needs to add weight and strength, but most 18-year-olds do. Bates is only 18 years old and has loads of potential. 6’9” guard with unlimited potential /fie6Ia7Ihl- State of Louisville May 4, 2022ĭespite his rocky freshman season, Bates is still viewed as a potential lottery pick. Bates did not leave the team and returned NCAA Tournament recording a combined 15 minutes in Memphis’ two tournament games.Įmoni Bates in the Memphis season opener last year. This created a narrative that Memphis was better without Bates, and, in February, there were reports that Bates may leave the team. Memphis was 11-8 when Bates went out with injury, but won 10 of its final 12 games without Bates. Bates missed the last 12 games of the regular season and the AAC tournament. He averaged 9 points, 3 rebounds, and one assist per game, but those numbers were impacted by the fact that he played in only 16 games due to a back injury. Listen: Starting Five02 Podcast with Brett Dawson of the Courier Journalīates’ freshman campaign at Memphis was up and down. Even after he reclassified, Bates was ranked the #5 overall player in the 2021 class behind the likes of Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, and Shaedon Sharp. However, in April 2021, he decommited from Michigan State and flirted with the idea of turning pro before deciding to reclassify to the 2021 class and play for Penny Hardaway at Memphis. At the time, he was ranked as the consensus #1 player in the 2022 class. Potential in which he displays while being extremely productive dominating the high school basketball scene in the scoring category.”īates committed to Michigan State in June 2020 as a junior. Bates has multi-year all-star type potential in the association. He could be versatile on that end as he has the size, length, and fluidity to check multiple positions. Defensively, there is a lot of potential there. He also has instincts as a passer and will occasionally make the right find when a defense zeroes in on him. He is unfazed when attempting jumpers with a high degree of difficulty due to his length, quick release, and touch. Bates has a quick trigger and shoots over defenders with ease. He is dangerous pulling up from deep in transition and has range that extends past the NBA three. He can score in a variety of ways due to his ability to put the ball in the basket at all three levels. Brandon Jenkins of 247 Sports, and Bates’ primary evaluator, said the following about Bates: “Bates is a dangerous contested shot-maker who arguably is the best scorer in high school basketball.
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