Eastern Michigan Basketball

Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates released a statement following a resolution to his legal issues on Wednesday:

Bates pleaded down to a misdemeanor charge of attempting to transport a loaded firearm in a vehicle, according to Anna Liz Nichols of the Detroit News.

He was originally arrested on Sept. 18 and charged with two felonies of carrying a concealed weapon and altering identification marks on a firearm. The felony charges were dismissed last week as part of a plea agreement, per Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel of ESPN.

After being suspended by the university pending resolution of the felony charges, Bates was reinstated.

"I'm very pleased this matter has been resolved so Emoni can get back to school and join his teammates," attorney Steve Haney said.

Bates transferred to Eastern Michigan this offseason, returning to his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The highly touted forward was a 5-star recruit considered the fifth-best player in the 2021 class, per 247Sports composite rankings. After initially committing to Michigan State, he went to Memphis and had an up-and-down first season at the collegiate level.

After scoring at least 15 in each of his first three games, Bates finished with averages of 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.

He will now look to make an impact in the Mid-American Conference, trying to rebuild his stock as a potential first-round pick in the 2023 NBA draft.

Eastern Michigan forward Emoni Bates reached a plea agreement that will see felony charges against him dropped and allow him to rejoin the Eagles' basketball program.

Steve Haney, Bates' attorney, told ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Pete Thamel on Thursday that Bates will plead guilty to a misdemeanor count of attempted illegal transportation of a weapon, which can also be dismissed if he completes a diversion program.

"It's my understanding he's actively being cleared by the school administration to return to campus today to resume his studies and his basketball career," Haney said. "I'm very pleased this matter has been resolved so Emoni can get back to school and join his teammates."

Eastern Michigan later confirmed Bates was reinstated:

Bates was arrested and charged with two felony counts—carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a firearm—following a Sept. 18 traffic stop in Superior Township, Michigan, per ESPN.

Haney said the felony charges will be formally dismissed next Wednesday during a hearing at Washtenaw County Circuit Court.

The Eagles are scheduled to play an exhibition game against Grand Valley on Oct. 27 and then have their regular-season opener against Wayne State on Nov. 7.

Bates' availability for those games hasn't been announced by EMU. The 6'10'' forward transferred to the MAC school in August after starting his college career at Memphis.

The 18-year-old Michigan native was a 5-star prospect and the No. 5 overall player in the 2021 college basketball recruiting class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

Bates averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.4 threes and 1.3 assists across 18 appearances (13 starts) during his season at Memphis. He missed six weeks during the campaign with a back injury before returning for the NCAA tournament.

He became the first 5-star recruit to join a MAC basketball team when he opted to return to his hometown over transfer interest from Power Five programs.

"I love my city and coming home to do something special was big for me," Bates said. "I've known several of the guys on the team from playing together and competing. Having a strong relationship and bond with my teammates and coaching staff was important to me. I've been working really hard over the years, especially this summer, against great competition to continue to get better."

While his stock has dipped over the past year, he'll have an opportunity to shine at EMU as a ready-made MAC Player of the Year candidate for the Eagles.

Eastern Michigan basketball player Emoni Bates has been suspended indefinitely after he was arrested Sunday night and charged with carrying a concealed weapon and altering ID marks on a weapon.

The university announced the suspension in a statement on Monday, via The Detroit News' Carol Thompson and Tony Paul:

"We are aware of a situation involving men's basketball student-athlete Emoni Bates. Eastern Michigan University takes all allegations of this nature very seriously. Per department policy, he has been suspended automatically from practice and playing privileges until the legal process is resolved. Because this is an ongoing legal matter, the University will have no further comment at this time."

According to police, per 7 Action News, Bates was initially pulled over in Washtenaw County, Michigan after failing to stop at an intersection. He was taken into custody after a firearm allegedly was discovered at the traffic stop.

The former Memphis player transferred to Eastern Michigan in June, returning to his hometown of Ypsilanti, Michigan.

Bates was a highly touted recruit throughout his high school career. ESPN's Paul Biancardi. listed him as the No. 1 player in any class when he was just a sophomore in 2019, ahead of future No. 1 draft picks Cade Cunningham and Paolo Banchero.

After reclassifying to the 2021 class, he ended up as the No. 5 overall player in 247Sports composite rankings.

Injuries slowed him down during his first season at Memphis, however, and he averaged just 9.7 points in 18 appearances. The forward decided to transfer after one season, looking to reestablish himself as a star while playing in the Mid-American Conference.

Still just 18 years old, Bates remains an NBA draft prospect and was considered a second-round pick in the first 2023 mock draft by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Former 5-star forward Emoni Bates has transferred to Eastern Michigan, he told Joe Tipton of On3.com.

"I'm committing to Eastern Michigan," Bates told Tipton. "I'm coming home."

Bates grew up in Ypsilanti, Michigan, where EMU is located.

The news comes after Bates revealed in a previous interview with Tipton of On3.com that he had entered the transfer portal on April 16 after just one season with the Memphis Tigers.

"I'd like to thank Coach Penny, my teammates, and the entire coaching staff at the University of Memphis for giving me the opportunity to be a Tiger. Thank you Tiger Nation for embracing me and all of you who supported our team throughout this season. With that being said, I have decided to enter the transfer portal," Bates said at the time.

Bates averaged 9.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists while shooting 38.6 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from deep in 18 games.

The 18-year-old's path to Memphis was an interesting one, as he was expected to play professionally right out of high school. Before his junior year in 2020, however, Bates committed to Michigan State. He then reopened his recruitment in April 2021 and ultimately committed to Memphis in August.

In June 2019, ESPN ranked Bates as the top high school player in the nation, aside from class. He was above now-NBA stars Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga.

Bates' decision to join the Eagles comes as no surprise after he listed Eastern Michigan as one of his top six schools in early May. He also told Tipton in a previous interview that he was seriously considering his hometown school.

"People probably look at me crazy because I’m considering Eastern," Bates said in May. "But if I went there, I would be like the neighborhood hero. I used to play at Eastern during my high school games when I was at Lincoln, and we used to pack it out every time. That would be crazy for me to be able to bring love to the city."

Louisville, Michigan, Seton Hall and DePaul were among the other schools Bates considered.

Bates undoubtedly has the ability to be a great player, it's now just about unlocking his potential, and he should be able to do that with his hometown Eagles.