Ypsilanti Lincoln sophomore boys basketball star Emoni Bates was named as the Gatorade HS Player of the Year on Tuesday.

Bates is rated as the number 1 player in the class of 2022.  He is the first sophomore to ever win the national award.  And he's the first Michigan player to win it since 2001 when Flint Northwestern's Kelvin Torbert (later attended Michigan State) was so honored.

Bates led his Railsplitters to a Division 1 state title last season as a freshman, and helped Lincoln to a 19-3 record and a berth in the district finals before the postseason was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Other Gatorade winners from Michigan were Chris Webber and LaVell Blanchard (both former University of Michigan stars).

Emoni averaged 32 points and 9 rebounds this season.  And he also crossed the 1,000 point plateau for career scoring this season.

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