Is 17-Year-Old Emoni Bates' NCAA Experiment Hurting His NBA Draft Stock?

It's not often NBA scouts find themselves evaluating a high-profile prospect in college for a draft that's two cycles away.

They've been torn watching 17-year-old Emoni Bates, who won't be eligible to declare until 2023. Nifty flashes of step-back jumpers have been mostly overshadowed by inefficient play. But almost every dud game, bad miss and cringeworthy mistake is followed by feedback that includes some type of asterisk referencing his age.

Scouts have to weigh the freshman's poor execution against his unusually young age and advanced skill set for a 6'9" wing.

Before exiting the lineup with a finger injury midway through December, Bates was shooting 37.4 percent through 10 games with 25…