DETROIT — He’s only 16 years old, but Emoni Bates may be the best high school basketball player in the country.
He has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant and already has appeared on a Sports Illustrated cover. He’s a social media highlight staple. Some have wondered out loud if he’s talented enough to play in the NBA right now.
So it’s fitting that the Ypsilanti (Mich.) Lincoln phenom has now added a major award to his resume. On Tuesday, Bates was named the Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year.
He’s the first sophomore to win the prestigious award, beating out two seniors: Cade Cunningham, a 6-foot-6 guard from Arlington, Texas, who has signed with Oklahoma State; and Evan Mobley, a 6-11 center from Temecula, Calif., who will play for USC next season.
“Emoni Bates is the newest generational talent in the high school game,” ESPN national recruiting director for boys high school basketball Paul Biancardi said in a news release. “As a 6-foot-9 sophomore, he owns a slender frame with terrific length thanks to a 7-1 wingspan. His elite ball skills have a profound influence and impact on the game.
“His ability as a shooter, including his capacity to make contested shots, makes him unique. His gifts off the bounce, his court vision and his fast-developing basketball IQ stand out as well. A key separating trait at this early age is his ‘alpha-dog’ mentality. When his time comes for the NBA draft, we project him as the No. 1 pick.”
Bates joins Chris Webber, LaVell Blanchard and Kelvin Torbert as national winners from the state.
Other national winners include Alonzo Mourning, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.
Bates, who averaged 31.6 points, nine rebounds and 2.6 assists this season at Lincoln, is 247Sports’ No. 1-ranked sophomore.
With stay-at-home orders affecting most of the United States because of the coronavirus pandemic, Gatorade came up with a unique way to honor the occasion. Several current and former professional athletes, including Jayson Tatum and Dwyane Wade, congratulated Bates on Twitter on Tuesday.
“The sports world has rightfully pushed pause to address the coronavirus pandemic, which is why we felt it was even more important to recognize and celebrate Emoni,” Gatorade senior vice president and general manager Brett O’Brien said in the release. “He’s incredible on and off the court and we look forward to seeing him continue to succeed in his chosen sport and beyond.”
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