3 observations from Emoni Bates, Ypsi Prep's win over Legacy (Texas) in Holiday Hoopfest

Emoni Bates and Ypsilanti Prep Academy debuted a new rotation and coasted to a win Saturday in Texas.

Ypsi Prep, a basketball program in its inaugural season, fell behind early but used tough defense — and, of course, a lot of Bates — to beat Legacy the School of Sport Sciences, 64-50, at University of Houston's Fertitta Center.

The Ball Boys are now 2-2. Legacy, an athletic-focused charter school near Houston, is 4-4 in its third season but plays a tough schedule in talent-rich Texas. The team's matchup was half of the Holiday Hoopfest.

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Here's what we learned from Ypsi Prep's performance:

Bates knows when to dish

Bates, a five-star Michigan State basketball commit, led all players in points (25), field goals (7-for-17) and free throws (9-for-9) and threw down a couple nice dunks, but he wasn't purely shot-hunting Saturday. The team's first basket was on a nice Bates drive-and-kick to new guard Jamal Sumlin, who connected on a 3-pointer.

A crisp lookaway pass to the post from the junior forward early in the game drew excitement from teammates; Bates finished with three assists, though he had a few nice setups that didn't end in points.

He was also aggressive in giving up the ball and cutting, drawing fouls and breaking down Legacy's defense. 

As a projected NBA lottery pick playing for a basketball program his father created, Bates is always going to be the engine of the offense. He scored 12 of his 25 in a third quarter Ypsi dominated, 20-8.

He has the license to take — because he can make — some questionable shots early in the possession. But when he's whipping passes around off the drive or in transition, the Ball Boys are tough to slow on offense.   

[ Michigan State commit Jaden Akins no longer playing with Emoni Bates, Ypsi Prep ]

New-look Ypsi

The Ball Boys ran a different starting five out Saturday than they have previously, going with Bates, Sumlin, Carson Cooper, Genesis Kemp and Dillon Hunter. Kemp and Cooper have seen their roles grow since the opening game vs. Chet Holmgren and Team Sizzle (Minnesota). Sumlin just joined the team less than a week ago, following the departure of Jaden Akins. 

And the changes may have had an effect on Ypsi early. The Titans, a team featuring two Power Five-committed forwards and a slew of Division I guards and wings, overwhelmed Ypsi through the first 5 minutes of game time. Layups and post shots were blocked by long-armed Sir Issac Herron and Ashton Smith, and Legacy was able to sprint out to a 10-0 advantage. 

Then Ypsi increased its defensive pressure on ball handlers, Legacy began to settle for jumpshots and Ypsi was able to claw back to a 13-7 deficit at the end of the first quarter. 

Sumlin finished with 12 points, three assists and two steals in his Ypsi debut. Cooper put down a couple strong dunks and he, along with Shawn Phillips, was key in holding Ashton Smith (6-9, 230-pound Texas A&M commit) and Sir Issac Herron (6-9, 210-pound Georgia recruit) to six combined points. Marlon Barnes Jr. poured in three 3-pointers for a season-high nine points as well.

They play defense, too

It's not all about buckets at Ypsi. The Ball Boys' coaching staff made key adjustments that led to a 28-15 run going into halftime and a runaway third quarter for Ypsi Prep. 

After Legacy got to the rim several times to start the game, Ypsi called timeout and adjusted to an aggressive zone defense that sometimes extended near halfcourt. The Titans were pressured into turnovers and bad shots as Dillon Hunter wreaked havoc in passing lanes. Bates also was credited with two steals and effective when used at the top of the zone.

Hunter had some trouble with ball-handling at times but was impressive with a chase-down block and another near-rejection that was called a foul. He had four steals along with six points, four assists, four rebounds and seven turnovers. Ypsi was credited with 10 steals total. 

Full stats for Legacy were not available but PJ Neal led the team with 14 points. 

Follow the Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for more news. Tyler Davis can be contacted at tjdavis@freepress.com or on Twitter @TDavisFreep.

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