Emoni Bates reflects on his decision to reopen his recruitment after committing to MSU

It feels like a lifetime ago, but at one point, Ypsilanti native Emoni Bates was considered to be the best college basketball prospect, and basketball prospect in general, since Kevin Durant, and he was committed to play basketball at Michigan State. Then, in late April of 2021, Bates shocked the world and announced he was reopening his recruitment from MSU to explore his options. On Thursday, Bates took to social media to reflect on that decision and address Spartan fans, Tom Izzo, and former MSU assistant coach Mike Garland.

Ultimately, Bates would go on to play one season at Memphis, then transfer closer to home to Eastern Michigan, before finally getting drafted in the second round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers where he is currently on a two-way contract, splitting his time with the NBA team and their G-League affiliate, the Cleveland Charge.

Bates post was interesting, and he expresses some regret for his decision, saying he would 'redo things' if he could. You can read it below:

To all my MSU people I love y’all and Coach Izzo! I was a 16 year old kid that made a decision held to the fire as an adult. If I could redo things I would. Life is about experiences, lessons and learning from them. I’ve tried to make amends plenty of times. If you can forgive a 16 year old who made a decision to reopen his recruitment I appreciate you. For those who cannot I understand. Coach Izzo and Coach Garland I will always love and respect you guys Thank you for once believing in me.

EB

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This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Emoni Bates reflects on reopening recruitment after his MSU commitment