NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Pros and cons of Emoni Bates final 4 options

NBA G League

The G League Ignite team had its inaugural season last year, featuring several former five-star prospects in Johnathan Kuminga, Jalen Green, Isaiah Todd, and Dashien Nix. Overall, it was a mixed bag, with both Green and Kuminga ending up as top-10 picks, while the individuals themselves alluded to a lack of national press compared to NCAA Basketball stars such as Cade Cunningham and Jalen Suggs.

Pros

The one thing the G League certainly didn’t do is hurt any of the players in terms of draft projections, as all of the players ended up where they were projected to go in the preseason. And based on how the top guys looked in the NBA Summer League that was just completed, the developmental aspects the new initiative promised have looked good so far.

For a player like Bates who is all but certain to be a top pick in a future NBA Draft, he doesn’t need NCAA Basketball, especially if he has to wait two years due to the current age restrictions in place. And while his family isn’t hurting for money, getting a million a year at the G League for two years, while being able to focus exclusively on basketball instead of classes is an appealing selling point.

Cons

Bates may be physically ready to play among true pros but is he mentally ready? In a piece by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Bates talked about the emotional trials and tribulations that come with being hailed as a generational prospect, including this section talking about how difficult the past year has been for him on and off the court;

"Bates’ struggles over the past year weren’t solely due to the cynics. Bates lost his close friend, Nareon Grier, on Sept. 11, 2020, when he was shot and killed. Bates’ great grandmother also passed away about a year ago, and he had to adjust to transferring from Lincoln High in Ypsilanti, Mich. to the brand-new Ypsi Prep Academy, which was created by his father.   “I wanted to stop playing,” Bates said. “I was ready to be done with it.”"

Going the pro route would protect Bates in some areas but could going through the college experience, especially on the road against hostile crowds. And while G League games don’t get much scrutiny, primetime NCAA Basketball games would. This would be helpful for the five-star forward to get used to the immense pressure and the spotlight.

It’s important to note that LeBron James, who Bates has been compared to, entered the NBA in 2003. Twitter wasn’t even around until 2006, so Bates will have to go through something even James didn’t when he was a teenager. There’s no wrong way for Bates and his family to steer through the off-the-court stuff but there are benefits that college provides that will help the young man out long-term, regardless of where he goes.