2022 No. 1 prospect Emoni Bates officially commits to Michigan State

Bates chose Michigan State over other programs such as Duke, Kentucky and Florida State among others.

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Five-star prospect, and the top-ranked player in the Class of 2022, Emoni Bates will be attending Michigan State University, he announced Monday afternoon on SportsCenter.

Bates is considered to be perhaps the top high school prospect in over a decade and has often been compared to Kevin Durant. He chose Michigan State over other programs such as Duke, Kentucky and Florida State among others.

Bates, of Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti, Michigan, this year became the first sophomore to be named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year. The 6-foot-9 forward led the Railsplitters to a 19-3 record, averaging 32.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.2 steals.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bates was surprised with the award on social media by future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade and All-Star Jayson Tatum. In addition, Bates spoke at length with Tatum following the news of winning the award.

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