Coming out of high school, Emoni Bates was one of the most sought-after recruits, receiving offers from just about every major program while ranking fifth overall at 247 Sports.
Bates eventually passed on the G-League and overseas opportunities to play with Penny Hardaway and the Memphis Tigers, joining 5-star recruit (No. 6 overall) Jalen Duren.
Let’s just say his time there hasn’t quite gone as planned, and this may be yet another top recruit that Hardaway loses before their career at Memphis takes off.
If you remember, James Wiseman, the top overall recruit for the Class of 2019 who eventually went second overall to the Golden State Warriors in the 2020 NBA Draft, chose Memphis over Kentucky.