NCAA Basketball: Takeaways from Emoni Bates shocking transfer to Eastern Michigan

There have been a number of storylines this offseason in NCAA Basketball, with many of them revolving around transfers that entered the portal. Despite not having the biggest stats from the season prior, the biggest entrant had to have been Emoni Bates, who at one time was supposed to be the next generational talent in the sport of basketball.

Around a year ago, Bates, along with another five-star prospect Jalen Duren, committed to the Memphis Tigers. Unfortunately, it just never worked out well for both sides. Chemistry, inconsistency, and injuries derailed Bates’ freshman campaign, averaging under 10 ppg in 18 games played.

He entered the transfer portal a couple of months ago, with a few programs reportedly in the mix. Teams such as Michigan, Louisville, Seton Hall were among the contenders, along with a MAC program in Eastern Michigan that was another hometown option for the Michigan native.

After a long time in the portal and speculation as to who was actually recruiting Bates, a decision was finally made on Wednesday.

When the first list of six teams came out, no one expected that the Eagles would be the team that landed the former five-star prospect. But they pulled off one of the bigger recruiting hauls in recent memory and instantly makes them a team to watch in the MAC next season.

So what does this mean for the teams that were reportedly in the mix for Bates and what does this also mean for both he and Eastern Michigan? Here’s a longer breakdown of the overall impact of this news.