LeBron James Jr. may be the biggest name basketball prospect in the prep ranks, but one of his recent opponents on the court may be the closest thing to a “next LeBron James” that we’ve had. Emoni Bates, a 2022 prospect out of Ypsilanti, Michigan, is gearing up to be the best prospect in his class… though by the time he leaves high school, he may be able to make the jump right to the NBA, if the league reverses course on that rule by then. Bates currently measures in at almost 6-foot-8, with point guard skills and a sweet jumper. This morning, he played against Bronny, with LeBron himself in attendance. Bronny’s team Strive for Greatness took home the 93-73 win, but Bates stole the show, scoring 43 points and grabbing 11 board. After the game, the recruiting analysts who witnessed the game live couldn’t help but draw comparisons between Emoni Bates and LeBron James. Rivals‘ Eric Bossi called him the best player his age in 20 years: “I want to start with Bates because in my 20 years in the business, the 15-year-old product of Ypsilanti (Mich.) Lincoln is as good a freshman as I have ever seen. He’s pushing 6-foot-8, handles the ball like a point guard, shoots effortlessly from deep and plays with an intense passion. “With the NBA looking at allowing high school players to enter the Draft after graduation as soon as 2022, Bates may also be on a path to living the most similar high school experience of anybody since LeBron. The NBA’s best player has already given him advice.” 247‘s Evan Daniels was similarly impressed: “With arguably the best player of all time cheering on his son on one end of the court, you couldn’t help but wonder if Bates is the best prospect to come through the high school ranks since LeBron played at Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent St. Mary.” Bates isn’t ducking the comparison, either. After the game, he revealed what LeBron told him after seeing him play: “(LeBron) just told me that he’s proud of my accomplishments,” said Bates. “He told me to keep going and to stay in the gym. Watching him, he had the same kind of publicity as me so I’ve just got to keep my head on straight and keep working.” Kentucky, Michigan, and Michigan State are already after Bates. If he has to spend a year in college, every big program in the country will wind up involved here. [Rivals; 247Sports]<doc-sep>WESTFIELD, Ind. — Every time the door swung open, a stiff breeze from the unseasonably cold suburban Indianapolis weather cut through the baseline bleachers and anyone sitting in them. It didn’t matter — they turned to face it each time anyway, because they knew he was going to walk through the door eventually. They made a late court change for this spectacle on Saturday. Strive for Greatness vs. Bates Fundamentals was moved from Court 5 to Court 8 at the Pacers Athletic Center so the King could make an easy entrance and exit from a side emergency door behind the team bench. So they gathered tight in one corner of this sprawling hoops haven, an eight-court setup that would feature many of the country’s top junior and sophomore basketball prospects on the second weekend of pool play for the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League. This was the only under-15 game played in this building this weekend. The extra space was needed.<doc-sep>WESTFIELD, Ind. -- The second day of the Nike EYBL Indianapolis session provided 247Sports with plenty of storylines. While the biggest was Bronny James' showdown with Emoni Bates, two of the nation's top scorers -- Cameron Thomas and Josh Christopher -- shined as well. Here's more on all three. Bronny James shows promise Unfair or not, Bronny James, the son of LeBron James who will enter high school this fall, will be in the spotlight throughout his high school career. That was clear on Saturday at the Nike EYBL when James’ team – Strive For Greatness – took on Emoni Bates and Bates Fundamentals in front of a standing room only crowd that had to be corralled by security guards surrounding the court. Bates, a 2022 prospect, was sensational, scoring 43 points and snagging 11 rebounds, but the younger James, a 6-foot-2 shooting guard, showed plenty of promise. With his father looking on, James showed impressive feel for the game and incredible poise for his age. He was unphased by the circus like environment around him. James has a smooth shooting stroke from three, competed on both ends and played with energy. He finished with 11 points and his team left with a double digit victory. “He’s going to be real special,” Bates said about Bronny after the game. “He plays hard, he’s smart. He finds people. He’s going to be real good.” The idea of projecting a rising freshman is difficult, and ultimately James’ continued skill development and physical growth will determine where he ends up, but at this stage the 2023 guard is tracking as a future high major prospect. -- Evan Daniels Cam Thomas shows to be elite bucket getter There is no substitute for being able to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court, and maybe no one possesses that ability more than Cameron Thomas in the class of 2020. Playing with Boo Williams, Thomas showed his elite ability to put points on the board in a morning win over Team Takeover. What makes Thomas so dangerous is that he is capable of anything on the court. When you think you are playing good defense, or think he is outside of his range, Thomas can make something happen. He showed his deep, deep range on multiple occasions on Saturday, and then also made contested shots. Thomas' ability to hit both in rhythm shots and contested shots is impressive. While at times his shot selection leaves a lot to be desired, the reality is, he is so capable of making buckets from wherever, that you live with an occasional bad shot. Overall, Thomas is one of the best scorers in the class, and has proven to be dangerous from anywhere, wand never was that more on display than on Saturday when he had two monster scoring games. -- Brian Snow Josh Christopher Joshua Christopher proving Top 10 status Joshua Christopher’s high level play all season with Bellflower (Calif.) Mayfair made it clear that he was deserving to be considered amongst the top handful of elite prospects nationally in 2020. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound shooting guard is currently the 6th rated prospect in the 247Sports Composite Rankings and it’s hard to argue that the five-star shooting guard is anything but one of the top talents amongst his peer group. Christopher has backed that up this weekend on the Nike EYBL circuit playing with Las Vegas Elite. His combination of size, length, build, athleticism, ball skills, shooting and scoring ability to go with vision are all unique for a shooting guard at this stage of his development. This recruitment could go any number of ways. Arizona State signed Joshua’s older brother, Caleb, as a 2019 recruit. Joshua’s cousin, Nicodemus, is the strength coach of Missouri. Christopher’s long list of options also includes Arizona, UCLA and USC. The combination of Christopher’s talent and the intrigue of his recruitment make him one of the more interesting storylines of the 2020 class. -- Josh Gershon<doc-sep>
Credit: 247Sports and USA Basketball Emoni Bates and LeBron James Jr., aka Bronny, faced off in a highly anticipated AAU game on Saturday, with James' Strive For Greatness team beating Bates Fundamentals 93-73 at Pacers Athletic Center in Westfield, Indiana. Bates, who is considered the class of 2022's No. 1 prospect via numerous sources, dropped 43 points and 11 rebounds, per Evan Daniels of 247Sports. Daniels wrote that Bates could be the best freshman prospect since LeBron James and offered the following scouting report: "Bates was sensational, showing his full scoring arsenal. From breaking down defenders off the dribble to nailing tough pull-up jumpers from mid-range and three to showing exceptional vision and passing ability, Bates did it all. His 43-point, 11-rebound outing was effortless. It was likely just a precursor of what his high school career will look like." Bates, a 6'7" forward, received much praise from onlookers, including Eric Bossi of Rivals and Kyle Tucker of The Athletic: Video Play Button Videos you might like Bronny scored 12 points and hit a trio of three-pointers, per Steve Helwagen of 247Sports. The 6'2" guard, who plays for Crossroads School in Santa Monica, California, is ranked 24th on Coast 2 Coast Preps' list of the top class of 2023 recruits. Pat Forde of Yahoo Sports said Bronny "[possesses] a smooth shooting stroke and handle." Of note, he hit this nice step-back jumper that James, who attended his son's game, approved: The four-time NBA MVP was fully involved in his son's team's win in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Tournament, per Forde: "He walked the sideline giving post-up advice, instructing defenders, calling traps and directing inbounds plays. On a couple of occasions he hectored the officials ('That is NOT a travel!' he barked). He did a quick cameo as an athletic trainer, talking to a player about his quadricep while the kid was working on an issue with his right leg. He even did some baseline security work, chiding people for getting too close when a player went sprawling out of bounds into the throng that surrounded the court. "He did everything but drive the team van." Whatever James did worked, as his son's team rolled to a 20-point win.