Ranking the Contenders: No. 1 recruit Emoni Bates Posted May 4, 2021 Emoni Bates, the No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2022 class, backed off his longtime commitment to Michigan State over the weekend. Bates intends to explore both college and professional options before making a decision. The professional route is certainly the well-established favorite, but a handful of schools have reached out. Rivals ranks the contenders. (Rivals.com)