The Michigan Wolverines basketball program has been in the news often this offseason, with Hunter Dickinson opting to return to Ann Arbor and the fanbase still processing the loss of Frankie Collins, its projected starting point guard for the 2022-2023 season.
Michigan has more than a few exciting possibilities left for its roster, however, starting with an unlikely one that nobody saw coming.
Former number one overall recruit Emoni Bates from Ypsilanti, Michigan has released his top six list of possible destinations for a transfer, and the Wolverines have been included according to a report from FanSided.com.
Memphis transfer Emoni Bates has narrowed his list to six schools, he tells @On3sports.
Michigan, Louisville, and others included.
Read: https://t.co/48hvldKXSE pic.twitter.com/YSUIXegTyy
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) May 2, 2022
A report from Matt Norlander said that Bates has brought up the possibility of transferring to the Wolverines.
Bates would be an incredible addition to the Michigan roster, but a lot depends on whether starting small forward Caleb Houstan and starting small forward Moussa Diabate transfer or not.
From what I gathered over the weekend, a few of these schools aren’t truly involved with Emoni Bates. Specificaly, was told that Michigan is not recruiting Bates. What’s more, if Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan return, there will be no scholarships open on the roster. https://t.co/UG1xfaBynj
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) May 3, 2022
The question now is whether Bates would be a good fit for Michigan or not.
Bates made a lot of threes last season, but only shot 31% total.
He likes to get his own shot from deep, but playing with Hunter Dickinson might make him more of a stand-still shooter, something that Houstan excels at and has been improving at rapidly.
Michigan also will need to find minutes for incoming top-rated freshman Jett Howard.
Howard won MVP honors at the Iverson Classic recently and is a top 50 recruit in his own right.
What Bates Would Bring to the Table That Others Wouldn’t
Bates would bring playmaking ability to the table, however, and the ability to get his own shot whenever he wants.
These are qualities that are lacking in the current Michigan roster that Bates excels tremendously.
His game is somewhat reminiscent of other tall, lanky, outside shooting specialists like Kevin Durant and Brandon Ingram.
He would certainly bring another dimension to Michigan if he does decide to transfer in, but it doesn’t seem likely right now.
As always, time will tell in this unpredictable college basketball landscape where new transfers occur seemingly every day and even the most successful players often find themselves looking for new teams when we least expect it.