Imoni Bates’ homecoming will be short.
Betts, a one-time basketball phenom who played this past season at Eastern Michigan in his hometown of Ypsilanti, has decided to enter the upcoming NBA draft.
Bates made the announcement on Instagram on Monday, writing, “What I’ve been dreaming of my whole life.”
It was a widely expected move from Betts, though the new era of the NIL in college athletics seemed to leave open the possibility of at least another season at Eastern Michigan. Betts had at least one significant NIL deal last season, after relocating home after one season at Memphis.
Bates, 19, was named third-team All-Mid-American Conference, and might have earned higher honors if his team hadn’t struggled so badly (8-23, 5-13 MAC). He led the Eagles in scoring (19.2 points per game) as well as rebounding (5.8), and in 3-pointers (76) and blocks (16).
Betts played 30 games for Eastern Michigan, missing only the season opener as a suspension following his preseason arrest on gun charges. Felony charges for carrying a concealed weapon were dismissed.
He got probation.
Bates’ attorney, Steven Haney, told The News at the time, “You never want to see young kids making mistakes and going off the rails at an age when they have a bright future.”
After being reinstated by Eastern Michigan, Bates addressed his teammates at an Oct. 13 practice.
“I don’t know exactly what was said,” head coach Stan Heath told The News afterward. “I really let him talk to the team without the coach. He talked to the team, and I know they welcomed him with open arms.
“This is the honest-to-God truth: He’s a really good kid who made a mistake. But he’s a really good kid. I enjoy coaching him, he works hard, he wants to do well, he wants to invest. is
“And I’m glad we have it.”
Betts played in an exhibition game against Grand Valley State on October 27, attempting his first shot in green and white, making 3 and scoring 27. He then missed the regular-season opener against Wayne State on November 7, due to an arrest warrant, before playing the rest of the team’s games.
There were many ups and downs throughout the season, the most notable being a January game against Toledo, when Bates scored 29 consecutive points for Eastern Michigan.
Bates was also a boon for the box office at Eastern Michigan, which averaged barely 1,600 fans per home game in 2021-22, but never under 2,000 in 2022-23. There were several home games that drew more than 4,000 fans, and two that drew more than 5,000 fans.
Bates was a legend at a young age, leading Ypsilanti Lincoln to a state championship as a freshman, and appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a 15-year-old. He was a five-star prospect coming out of high school and originally moved to Memphis after coming to Michigan State, where he had an up-and-down freshman season that included some injuries.
He entered the transfer portal and officially signed with Eastern Michigan in August, announcing, “I love my city and it was big for me to come home to do something special.”
Along with Tyson Acuff (Detroit; Duquesne), Legend Geeter (River Rouge; Providence) and Jalin Billingsley (Georgetown), Bates was one of several notable transfers sent to Eastern Michigan last offseason to go with freshman Orlando Lovejoy (Detroit). .
But the pieces didn’t always mesh, and the Eagles struggled mightily in Heath’s second season and again missed the MAC Tournament.
With Bates’ departure, Eastern Michigan point guard Noah Farrakhan — who averaged 16.6 points in his first season, but dropped to 11.9 this past season — has entered the transfer portal along with forwards Collin Golson Jr. and Lovejoy.
Bates was not made available to the media at all during his one season at Eastern Michigan, despite repeated requests from The Detroit News.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @tonypaul1984
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