'He is an NBA talent': Emoni Bates officially comes home, signs with Eastern Michigan

Nothing's official until pen meets paper.

So you can understand the growing nervousness among Eastern Michigan basketball fans in the eight weeks since Ypsilanti native and one-time basketball phenom Emoni Bates verbally — but not formally — committed to his hometown university Since he announced his decision in late June, there hadn't been a peep since, leading some to suspect he might be considering a different destination.

The gray area, now, is gone. On Tuesday, Eastern Michigan made it official, announcing Bates had signed with Eastern Michigan for the upcoming season. He has used one season of collegiate eligibility, at Memphis.

"I love my city," Bates said in a statement. "And coming home to do something special was big for me. I’ve known several of the guys on the team from playing together and competing. Having a strong relationship and bond with my teammates and coaching staff was important to me. I’ve been working really hard over the years, especially this summer, against great competition to continue to get better.

"I’m excited to have Coach (Stan) Heath and his staff working with the team and myself. I really feel a connection here and I’m excited for our upcoming season.

"My parents once told me, 'Happiness equals success; never compromise yourself to lose what's most important. Your happiness is everything!'"

Now, Bates' happiness is Eastern Michigan's, too.

The commitment is the biggest for the school in the era of the recruiting ranking services, which dates to the early 2000s. Bates was a five-star prospect out of high school, and becomes the first five-star to join a Mid-American Conference program and, as such, becomes the highest-ranked prospect to head to Eastern Michigan in the recruiting-services era.

It's a major boon for Heath, Eastern Michigan's second-year coach, who has signed three other transfers during this offseason as the Eagles seek their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.

"Eastern Michigan basketball, the university, and our entire community are all thrilled to welcome Emoni back home," Heath said in a statement. "As I have gotten to know him, I am extremely impressed by his love for the game, the work ethic he has on his craft, and the passion he has to be great. In meeting him, I was encouraged by his character and who he is as a person. One of the first things he said to me was the importance of having a great relationship with his teammates and coaches, which meant a lot to me.

"His familiarity with several players on the team and the connection they have had over the years was pivotal in Emoni coming home as well. I realize what a special moment this is by having a No. 1-ranked player in the country in Emoni Bates join our program. He is an NBA talent and we are committed to winning and helping him and his teammates reach their dreams."

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Bates, 18, played last season at Memphis, where he battled back injuries, which limited his playing time for much of the season before the NCAA Tournament. Bates averaged 9.7 points and 3.3 rebounds for Memphis. He missed the final nine regular-season games.

In April, he announced he was entering the transfer portal, though the 6-foot-9 forward was reportedly leaving the door open to returning to Memphis and coach Penny Hardaway.

Then, in a social-media post June 29, he said he was heading to Eastern Michigan, in the shadows of where he became a high-school sensation.

At Ypsi Prep Academy, he averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists. He started his prep career at Ypsilanti Lincoln, leading the team to a state title as a freshman. He was the Gatorade national player of the year in 2020, averaging 32.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals. In one game, he poured in 63 points and had 21 rebounds. In 2019, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, under the headline, "Born For This," with the tagline, "Magic, Michael, LeBron ... And the 15-Year-Old Who's Next in Line." 

In high school, he originally committed to Michigan State before changing his mind. He chose to play at Memphis rather than jump into the NBA's G-League. He reclassified from the Class of 2022 to 2021.

At Eastern Michigan, Bates joins fellow transfers Tyson Acuff (Detroit Cass Tech, Duquesne), Jalin Billingsley (Georgetown) and Legend Geeter (River Rouge, Providence). All four were finalists for their states' respective Mr. Basketball award. Per 247Sports, Eastern Michigan's transfer class is fourth nationally, behind Power Fives Texas, Texas Tech and Illinois. Last season's leading scorer Noah Farrakhan also is returning to the Eagles for his sophomore season.

Eastern Michigan was 10-21 last season and 5-15 in the MAC, and hasn't had a winning season since 2017-18 when Rob Murphy, now an executive with the Detroit Pistons, was head coach. The new-look Eagles will get a major test early in the season, playing Michigan at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Friday, Nov. 11.

tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984