High school basketball: Emoni Bates remains No. 1 in updated 247Sports Class of 2022 rankings

By Jordan Divens Nov 4, 2020, 1:00pm

Ten players jump 60 spots or higher in new look at nation's top juniors.

Emoni Bates of Ypsi Prep Academy (Ypsilanti, Mich.) and Jalen Duren of Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) continued to hold down the top spots in the 247Sports Class of 2022 high school basketball prospect rankings, which received a major update this week. Beyond those two stars, there was plenty of movement and some new names to put on the radar.

No. 1-ranked Bates, a 6-foot-8 wing, comes into his junior season with sky-high expectations. Even in a new program taking the floor for the first time this winter, he's the favorite to win MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors. As a sophomore, he averaged 32.4 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game last season at Lincoln High School in Ypsilanti.

No. 2 Duren earned first team MaxPreps Sophomore All-America honors last season, averaging 18.1 points, 12.5 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per contest for Roman Catholic (Philadelphia).

Ten players ranked in the current top 100 jumped 60 or more spots in the update, headlined by Cason Wallace of Richardson (Texas), who jumped 60 spots to No. 17 and earn a 5-star ranking.



The biggest riser in the rankings update was 6-8 center Zuby Ejiofor of Garland (Garland, Texas), who incredibly climbed 228 spots to No. 41.

There were eight other players who jumped 60 or more spots in the updated 2022 rankings:

- Kel'el Ware, North Little Rock (Ark.), up 68 spots to No. 32.
- Amen Thompson, Pine Crest, up 88 spots to No. 47
- Jazian Gortman, Keenan (Columbia, S.C.), up 165 spots to No. 53
- Malique Ewin, Berkmar (Lilburn, Ga.), up 80 spots to No. 90
- Anthony Black, Coppell (Texas), up 160 spots to No. 91
top-ranked Class of 2022 prospect Emoni Bates of Ypsi Prep Academy.
top-ranked Class of 2022 prospect Emoni Bates of Ypsi Prep Academy.
Photo by: Scott Hasse