On Monday, Jon Rothstein of CollegeHoopsToday reported that several schools had reached out to NC State transfer Manny Bates. One of the programs listed were the Auburn Tigers, and several others interested are Ohio State, Illinois, Georgetown, Houston, and Iowa State.
The North Carolina native spent three seasons in Raleigh. In first two seasons, he averaged 7.5 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. Perhaps the most intriguing statistic was his blocks per game (2.8). In 2021, his season ended before it virtually ever started when he dislocated his right shoulder in his first game, causing him to miss the rest of the season. It is worth noting that Bates did start 50 games in his first two seasons. He also blocked 147 shots, which ranks as the fourth most in North Carolina State history. The season was set to be promising for the Wolfpack prior to Bates getting injured. They would finish the season with an 11-21 record.
The Tigers coaching staff has put an emphasis on big men in the portal. Louisiana Tech transfer Kenneth Lofton Jr. and Morehead State transfer Johni Broome have both been in touch with [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and his staff. With Bates coming into the fold, the likelihood increases that Auburn will land a big man via the transfer portal. Standing at 6’11, Bates would certainly be a big presence down low. His ability to block shots is impressive and something the Tigers would love to have in 2022.
Auburn is bringing in three players in its’ 2022 class. [autotag]Tre Donaldson[/autotag], [autotag]Yohan Traore[/autotag], and [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] are all set to join the program for next season. Traore is interesting because he is a 6’10 big man from Arizona — adding Bates would likely create competition. One of the two could also move to the four spot, as Auburn is also bringing back center [autotag]Dylan Cardwell[/autotag].
NC State transfer Manny Bates tells me that he's receiving interest from the following programs:
Auburn
Iowa State
Houston
Georgetown
Illinois
Ohio State— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 11, 2022
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