Emoni Bates is one of the top freshman basketball players in the country. With skills well beyond the typical athlete of his age, he could be among the first in the next cycle to enter the NBA straight out of high school if the league allows it in 2022.
He also has ice in his veins.
Tied at 55 with less than 10 seconds in the first round of the playoffs, the Lincoln (Ypsilanti, Mich.) High School star brought the ball up court. He received a pick, dribbled to the left and found his spot.
Bates released the shot from well behind the arc.
Emoni Bates for the Win!! pic.twitter.com/n7of6zNXcz
— CoachJohnson (@Johnson9Coach) March 6, 2019
His defender, who was fighting through the screen, was still right at the 3-point line, but not nearly close enough to get a finger on it.
Nothing but net.
The 3-point bomb swished through, leaving 0.9 seconds on the clock that Skyline (Ann Arbor, Mich.) would not be able to overcome.
Lincoln won 58-55 and will advance to the next round of the playoffs.
With reports listing his height anywhere from 6-foot-7 to 6-foot-9, Bates appears on the path to stardom. In mid-February, he averaged 31.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.
He attended the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Minicamp in Colorado Springs in October.
Bates has also proved he can perform when the pressure is on.
Look no further than Tuesday night for evidence.
