The next year, he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and became the first sophomore to ever win the Gatorade National Player of the Year. In ninth grade, he led Lincoln High School (Ypsilanti, Mich.) to a Michigan State title. Despite a mediocre performance from Bates, Miami lost at home to Eastern Michigan. Lingering knee issues and conditioning issues have limited him to just 12.2 minutes per game in his career.Bates, a 6-foot-10-inch guard, hasn’t had the most linear career, to put it nicely.Įmoni Bates, a former five star basketball recruit who graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 15-year-old, played at Millett Hall this weekend. Whether he can make the transition quickly and smoothly remains to be seen.ĭandridge has played a bunch for the Tigers (81 games in three seasons) and has shown enough to make you think there's something there. The 6-6 Lawson has plenty of tools and a track record of both team success and individual excellence at the high school level. Hardaway's son is also a capable defender and an intelligent presence. Last season, he made as many 3-pointers (12) as he did the previous two seasons combined. Jayden Hardaway, largely a role player for much of his career, has shown steady improvement. It also could mean senior center Malcolm Dandridge will have to play way more minutes than ever before in a Memphis uniform. But what if that doesn't happen?įor starters, it could mean a pair of guards, redshirt senior Jayden Hardaway and/or redshirt freshman Johnathan Lawson, find themselves thrust into critical roles for the first time. No one is saying Hardaway won't eventually land other starting candidates. What if this is it for Memphis roster?įor all the question marks Memphis is facing, the starting lineup is far and away the biggest.Įven if Akot joins the Tigers, there are still only three players who can be penciled in as starters from Day 1 – Davis and Williams being the others. Capable of guarding one through four while also showing the ability to do multiple things on offense, Akot's presence could mean Memphis is in business.Īdding Akot to a lineup that includes DeAndre Williams and Kendric Davis also would help steady the waters and get expectations for the 2022-23 season closer to what most thought they would be at the close of last season. We also know Hardaway loves versatile pieces, and Akot is every bit of that. Coach Penny Hardaway has placed a premium on adding a player like that. The former Bronco is a proven perimeter threat (39.5% from deep last season). Mandatory Credit: Jaime Valdez-USA TODAY Sports Portland, OR, USA Boise State Broncos guard Emmanuel Akot (14) during practice before the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Until a decision is made, anything is possible." "His focus right now is getting stronger and taking his time to make the best decision for him. The Commercial Appeal also spoke with a source with very close ties to Bates about the potential of a reunion. Some believe it could work but only if both sides can agree on a path forward that best sets Bates up for success. When asked about it, opinions from sources around the Tigers' program have been mixed. The Tigers have plenty of scholarships available for next season as well. But Memphis coach Penny Hardaway has said for weeks one of the things he's still looking for is a shooter (or, shooters). It's also possible he will choose G League Ignite or some other professional avenue.īut what if Bates winds up right back where he started? Sounds crazy, right? And it might be. Bates is reportedly considering the likes of Michigan and Louisville. Two months later, though, the talented scorer's future remains undetermined. Then, Bates resurfaced and played spare minutes in both of Memphis' NCAA Tournament games, only to opt for the transfer portal in April.
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