The nation’s No. 1 recruit has been watching Michigan State for a long time. Emoni Bates grew up in Michigan and watched Tom Izzo and the Spartans dominate the Big Ten for years, winning multiple titles and making eight Final Fours.
Izzo, on the other hand, has had Bates in his locker room for years during visits and has developed a relationship with the high school sophomore who is currently projected as part of the 2022 recruiting class, but there’s a good chance he could reclassify to 2021. If that’s the case, Michigan State could benefit.
However, as Spartan fans well know, recruiting is a wild game.