Michigan State Basketball: Predicting future starting 5 with Enoch Boakye

Seeing Emoni Bates at the small forward spot is still surreal because, well, no one thought he’d be playing college basketball but all signs are pointing toward him attending MSU.

Right now, Bates is starting a new prep school and he’s teaming up with Jaden Akins — a potential future MSU commit — and there’s talk of him graduating after his junior season and reclassifying to 2021. That might be the most logical guess anyone has about what the No. 1 prospect in the nation is going to do.

If he were draft eligible right now, he’d probably make some noise in the NBA, but he’s entering his junior season and many believe he’s the best prospect in decades.

Bates, like Christie, could afford to add some weight, especially if he wants to guard opposing Big Ten wings and he already has the length to cause some problems. He can shoot, drive, defend, slash, rebound and wreak havoc all over the floor. There’s not much that Bates can’t do on a basketball court which makes him so intriguing.

If he reclassifies, he’s immediately inserted into the starting lineup, no question about it.