Where did Emoni Bates go to college?

Emoni Bates is a professional American basketball player who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers and its affiliate G League team as of March 2025. He got drafted in the 2023 NBA draft as the 49th overall pick by the Cavaliers, which later converted into a two-way contract. As of March 11, 2025, he has appeared in 22 games, averaging 2.1 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.

Bates has also played for the Cleveland Charge, posting his career-best of 38 points against the Santa Cruz Warriors on January 6, 2024. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game in the NBA G League as of Sports Reference.

Emoni Bates College

Emoni Bates enrolled at the University of Memphis and joined their basketball team as Memphis' youngest player at the age of 17. As a freshman, he made his debut on November 9, 2021, scoring 17 points, four rebounds, and four assists in an 89-65 win against Tennessee Tech. Bates was in the starting five in 13 games out of 18 games he played for the Memphis Tigers. He transferred to Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan, by his sophomore year and averaged 19.2 points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 30 appearances. Bates averaged 15.6 points and 4.8 rebounds in 48 appearances for the two teams he played for. He was named to Third-Team All-MAC in 2023 due to his performance.

Emoni Bates High School

Emoni Bates played his freshman and sophomore year of high school for Lincoln Senior High School under head coach Jesse Davis. He helped Lincoln High School win its first state championship as a freshman. Bates joined the Ypsi Prep Academy in his junior season, where he averaged 24.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game as per his college profile. He was one of five finalists for the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award and was a consensus top-five, five-star recruit by every major recruiting service.

Read more: Emoni Bates Draft Pick