With all of Dana Altman’s recruiting successes, when he doesn’t get the recruit, it’s somewhat of a surprise.
That’s a nice problem to have, but you can’t win them all as the nation’s No. 3 player in the Class of 2021, according to ESPN, Emoni Bates, has chosen Memphis over Oregon.
Sure, it would have been nice to add one more blue-chip recruit to the 2021-22 roster, but the Ducks are still stacked as they look to win another Pac-12 men’s basketball title.
Bates, from Ypsilanti, Mich., is a 6-foot-8 small forward that is a shot-maker and Brandon Jenkins from 247 Sports calls him the best scorer on the high school level. He was originally in the Class of ’22, but decided to reclassify to 2021 instead.
It’s very possible Oregon’s talented roster was the reason why Bates chose to go elsewhere. Young kids, like one as talented as Bates, want to step onto campus and play right away. And while he would have had a good chance to crack the Ducks’ starting five, it was far from a sure thing.
Despite losing out on Bates, Oregon has five-star recruits Nathan Bittle and Dior Johnson as well as transfers De’Vion Harmon, Quincy Guerrier, and Jacob Young all on this year’s roster.