Is it Emoni Bates time for Michigan Basketball?

After reports that Michigan basketball is out for some transfer targets, is it time for the Wolverines to seriously consider Emoni Bates? 

Michigan basketball is intent on adding a transfer to the 2022-23 roster and the Wolverines should be after losing Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate to the NBA draft.

There seemed to be some worthwhile targets for the Wolverines, even after the NBA draft process concluded, but so far, Michigan has struggled to gain traction.

Duke transfer Joey Baker is the only target that has visited Michigan basketball yet. The sharp-shooting wing from Duke is 6-foot-6 and is a career 37-percent shooter from 3-point range but he’s only averaged 11 minutes per game.

Still, he would fill the need for a shooter, which is even more important now with Houstan not returning. Jett Howard is expected to help fill that void, but a proven floor-spacer like Baker, assuming he can stay healthy and play around 20 minutes a game, would be perfect.

But even Baker isn’t a done deal. Josh Henschke of Rivals (Maize and Blue Review) reported (subscription required) that it’s 50/50 for Baker and that Michigan basketball is out of it for Emmanuel Akot and Pete Nance.

I never thought Pete Nance was a realistic possibility. I was hoping that Akot would be. However, that’s not going to happen according to Henschke and Jacob Grandison, who really would be the ideal fit, just visited Duke and that seems like his preferred destination.

So what does that all mean for Michigan basketball? It means it’s time to take a hard look at Emoni Bates.

It’s time to look at Emoni Bates

There are some other options out there but Bates is ranked 16th among transfers in 2022 according to the On3.com rankings and while Louisville seemed to be the favorite, it feels like Bates has been waiting on Michigan.

Now, that patience might pay off.

Bates has first-round NBA talent. He didn’t play all that well last season at Memphis but scored 9.7 points per game and shot 32 percent from three on 4.2 attempts per game from beyond the arc. So in 24 minutes, he made an average of 1.4 3-pointers per game.

He’s 6-foot-9, can create his own shot, and also knows how to play with an elite big man after being in the lineup with Jalen Duren a year ago at Memphis.

It’s a risk. There’s no doubt about that. But Hunter Dickinson is back and the Wolverines lost two NBA-caliber players just last month.

I get all the questions about Bates but Juwan Howard is tight with the family and Michigan’s culture should help alleviate those concerns, especially with Dickinson around.

Here’s what Dylan Burkhardt of UMHoops wrote:

"“I still think it would take a lot for this to happen — and it would be a massive gamble — but if the Wolverines can’t land an impact player like Grandison, Akot or Nance, would Howard consider taking a chance on Bates? He’s an elite tough shot maker, but he’s never played efficient basketball in a team setting. Add in the noise that tends to follow Bates at every spot, and adding him to the roster becomes a high-risk proposition.”"

It would be a high-risk move but none of the others have worked out and I’ve said all along that adding Baker wouldn’t preclude Michigan from getting Bates or another high-level scorer.

This decision is going to be Juwan’s. He’s going to have to be the one to make sure it all works but a starting lineup of Hunter Dickinson, Emoni Bates, Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin, and Jaelin Llewellyn sounds pretty enticing with T-Will, Dug McDaniel, Tarris Reed, and Joey Baker off the bench.

If the time is ever going to come for Michigan basketball and Emoni Bates, this is it.