Bates said he will commit to the Spartans "right now."
Top high school prospect Emoni Bates announced he has verbally committed to play at Michigan State.
Bates, currently in the 2022 class, made the announcement Monday afternoon on ESPN surrounded by his family and hinted at the fact that he could end up not attending the school.
"I'm not sure what the future may hold, but I do know right now I will be committing to Michigan State," he said.
Bates could choose to forgo college and head straight to the NBA if the league changes its one-and-done rule, which has been proposed. He could also opt to reclassify to the 2021 recruiting class and play the 2021–22 college season rather than 2022–23. Regarding reclassification, his father Elgin told ESPN, "Anything is possible right now. By the end of [Emoni's] junior year, he will be in position to graduate. We don't know yet. It's up to him, it's a day-by-day thing for him."
Bates has been compared to NBA stars like LeBron James and heralded as the next great generational talent. Sports Illustrated's Michael Rosenberg profiled Bates in 2019 during his sophomore season at Lincoln High in Ypsilanti, Mich. The 6-foot-9, 180-pound sophomore forward led the Railsplitters to an 18–3 record and the Division 1 state championship title. Bates averaged 33.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.3 steals.