Photo: Getty Images
Eastern Michigan basketball forward Emoni Bates was arrested on gun charges Sunday (September 18) night, the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office confirmed to WXYZ Detroit.
Bates, 18, was charged with one count for carrying concealed weapons and one count for altering ID marks on a weapon, court records obtained by WXYZ Detroit confirmed.
The Ann Arbor native was pulled over by police after failing to stop at an intersection and was found to be in possession of a firearm.
Bates ranked as the No. 1 small forward, No. 1 player from the state of Michigan and No. 5 overall prospect for the 2021 national recruiting cycle after reclassifying from the 2022 class, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Bates signed with Memphis as part of the Tigers' No. 1 overall signing class for the 2021 national recruiting cycle, but struggled to average 9.7 points per game on 38.6% shooting, as well as 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists, while also missing 15 games due to injury.
The 6-foot-10 forward transferred to Eastern Michigan University after his freshman season, a move that brought him back to his hometown of Ypsilanti.
"I love my city and coming home to do something special was big for me," Bates said in a statement at the time via WXYZ Detroit. "I’ve known several of the guys on the team from playing together and competing. Having a strong relationship and bond with my teammates and coaching staff was important to me."