NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga’s comeback, Villanova’s upset and other takeaways

Emoni Bates nearly beat Michigan in his debut with EMU

After a disastrous freshman campaign at Memphis, the former five-star prospect was in the transfer portal for a while. Bates ultimately ended up at Eastern Michigan, a program in the MAC that finished in the bottom of the standings last season. The hope is that his arrival would make them more competitive this season and after sitting out the first game earlier in the week, the forward made his debut against the Wolverines.

It ended up as one of the best games of the night. The Eagles were either leading or barely behind throughout all 40 minutes, led by the duo of Bates and Noah Farrakhan. Bates went for 30 points on 12/19 shooting in 34 minutes and made some spectacular shots. It was easily the best game for him in a college uniform and showed the potential he had coming out of high school.

In the end, Michigan survived the upset bid, winning 88-83. All-American center Hunter Dickinson had 31 points and was the only reason why they were even in the game. It’s clear that the Big Ten program has work to do with the supporting cast but the big story is how Bates looked with EMU. In a MAC that has several stars on its top teams, the Eagles may be able to content themselves thanks to Bates.