Eastern Michigan Athletics
Emoni Bates Named All-MAC Third Team
3/8/2023 10:04:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Sophomore earned recognition in vote of the league's head coaches
CLEVELAND, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) -- Eastern Michigan University men's basketball guard Emoni Bates (Ypsilanti, Mich.-Ypsi Prep-Memphis) has been named All-Mid-American Conference Third Team in a vote of the conference's coaches, the league announced March 8. Bates, one of the top scorers in the league, is the first Eastern player honored by the MAC since the 2019-20 season when Boubacar Toure was named All-MAC Honorable Mention.
The 44th different Eagle to be selected for All-MAC accolades, Bates' honor is the 77th earned in program history. When looking at the first, second, and third teams, Bates is the 30th Eastern player to be recognized after he collected the program's 46th accolade. The last time Eastern had a player earn a spot on one of the top three teams came following the 2018-19 season when James Thompson IV was named to the All-MAC Second Team with Elijah Minnie earning the most recent third-team honor following the 2017-18 campaign. Bates joins Minnie, Raven Lee (2015-16), Karrington Ward (2014-15), and Darrell Lampley (2011-12) as the five Eagles to be named third team.
A local standout, Bates returned to Ypsilanti and quickly made a name for himself as one of the top scorers in the league as he finished the regular season averaging 19.2 points per game, which ranked third in the MAC. Additionally, Bates ranked seventh in rebounding at 5.8 per game while standing fourth with 2.5 made three-point baskets per contest. Bates led the team in both scoring and rebounding to become the first Eastern player to do so since the 2021-22 season when Ty Groce averaged 15.2 and 6.9, respectively. He also finished with four double-doubles on the year.
A draw no matter the venue, Bates put on a show in many of the games he played, most notably when he scored 43 points at Toledo, Jan. 24, a point total that ranks as the ninth-highest in the nation this year and the ninth-highest in a single game in program history. In that game, Bates scored 29 points in a row to close out the first half for the Eagles and connected on nine total three-point baskets in the game which ranks as the 12th-most in a single game this year nationally and the second-most in a game in program history.
Bates, who recorded 20 or more points in 12 games, finished the regular season with 577 points, the fifth-most scored by any Eagle in his sophomore campaign, and a total that also now ranks him 94th in the history of the program. Bates, who also drained eight three-pointers at South Carolina, Dec. 30, tallied 76 made triples, the eighth-most in a single season in program history.
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2022-23 MAC Men's Basketball Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
Player of the Year: RayJ Dennis, Jr., G, Toledo *unanimous selection*
Freshman of the Year: Reggie Bass, G, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Sixth Man of the Year: Jalen Sullinger, So., G, Kent State
All-MAC First Team
Xavier Castaneda, Sr., G, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Jr., F, Akron
Sincere Carry, R-Sr., G, Kent State
RayJ Dennis, Jr., G, Toledo
JT Shumate, Sr., F, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Payton Sparks, So., C, Ball State
Jarron Coleman, R-Jr., G, Ball State
Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Setric Millner Jr., Sr., F, Toledo
Dwight Wilson III, Grad., F, Ohio
All-MAC Third Team
Jaylin Sellers, So., G, Ball State
Curtis Jones, So., G, Buffalo
Emoni Bates, So., G, Eastern Michigan
Mekhi Lairy, 5th, G, Miami
David Coit, So., G, Northern Illinois
Honorable Mention
Leon Ayers III, Sr., G, Bowling Green
Anderson Mirambeaux, Sr., F, Miami
Kaleb Thornton, Sr., G, Northern Illinois
Jaylin Hunter, Jr., G, Ohio
Lamar Norman Jr., Sr., G, Western Michigan
All-Freshman Team
Reggie Bass, G, Central Michigan
Ryan Mabrey, G, Miami
AJ Brown, G, Ohio
Elmore James G, Ohio
Seth Hubbard G, Western Michigan
All-Defensive Team
Enrique Freeman, Jr., F, Akron
Greg Tribble, Jr., G, Akron
Damarius Jacobs, Sr., G, Ball State
Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Sincere Carry, R-Sr., G, Kent State
The 44th different Eagle to be selected for All-MAC accolades, Bates' honor is the 77th earned in program history. When looking at the first, second, and third teams, Bates is the 30th Eastern player to be recognized after he collected the program's 46th accolade. The last time Eastern had a player earn a spot on one of the top three teams came following the 2018-19 season when James Thompson IV was named to the All-MAC Second Team with Elijah Minnie earning the most recent third-team honor following the 2017-18 campaign. Bates joins Minnie, Raven Lee (2015-16), Karrington Ward (2014-15), and Darrell Lampley (2011-12) as the five Eagles to be named third team.
A local standout, Bates returned to Ypsilanti and quickly made a name for himself as one of the top scorers in the league as he finished the regular season averaging 19.2 points per game, which ranked third in the MAC. Additionally, Bates ranked seventh in rebounding at 5.8 per game while standing fourth with 2.5 made three-point baskets per contest. Bates led the team in both scoring and rebounding to become the first Eastern player to do so since the 2021-22 season when Ty Groce averaged 15.2 and 6.9, respectively. He also finished with four double-doubles on the year.
A draw no matter the venue, Bates put on a show in many of the games he played, most notably when he scored 43 points at Toledo, Jan. 24, a point total that ranks as the ninth-highest in the nation this year and the ninth-highest in a single game in program history. In that game, Bates scored 29 points in a row to close out the first half for the Eagles and connected on nine total three-point baskets in the game which ranks as the 12th-most in a single game this year nationally and the second-most in a game in program history.
Bates, who recorded 20 or more points in 12 games, finished the regular season with 577 points, the fifth-most scored by any Eagle in his sophomore campaign, and a total that also now ranks him 94th in the history of the program. Bates, who also drained eight three-pointers at South Carolina, Dec. 30, tallied 76 made triples, the eighth-most in a single season in program history.
Follow Us
For the most up-to-date information on the Eagles, visit EMUEagles.com. Fans can also follow the team on social media, including Twitter (@EMU_MBB) and Instagram (@EMUMBB).
2022-23 MAC Men's Basketball Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Tod Kowalczyk, Toledo
Player of the Year: RayJ Dennis, Jr., G, Toledo *unanimous selection*
Freshman of the Year: Reggie Bass, G, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Sixth Man of the Year: Jalen Sullinger, So., G, Kent State
All-MAC First Team
Xavier Castaneda, Sr., G, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Jr., F, Akron
Sincere Carry, R-Sr., G, Kent State
RayJ Dennis, Jr., G, Toledo
JT Shumate, Sr., F, Toledo
All-MAC Second Team
Payton Sparks, So., C, Ball State
Jarron Coleman, R-Jr., G, Ball State
Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Setric Millner Jr., Sr., F, Toledo
Dwight Wilson III, Grad., F, Ohio
All-MAC Third Team
Jaylin Sellers, So., G, Ball State
Curtis Jones, So., G, Buffalo
Emoni Bates, So., G, Eastern Michigan
Mekhi Lairy, 5th, G, Miami
David Coit, So., G, Northern Illinois
Honorable Mention
Leon Ayers III, Sr., G, Bowling Green
Anderson Mirambeaux, Sr., F, Miami
Kaleb Thornton, Sr., G, Northern Illinois
Jaylin Hunter, Jr., G, Ohio
Lamar Norman Jr., Sr., G, Western Michigan
All-Freshman Team
Reggie Bass, G, Central Michigan
Ryan Mabrey, G, Miami
AJ Brown, G, Ohio
Elmore James G, Ohio
Seth Hubbard G, Western Michigan
All-Defensive Team
Enrique Freeman, Jr., F, Akron
Greg Tribble, Jr., G, Akron
Damarius Jacobs, Sr., G, Ball State
Malique Jacobs, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Sincere Carry, R-Sr., G, Kent State
Players Mentioned
G
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