Mobley, Cunningham, Bates finalists for Gatorade hoops award
Evan Mobley of California, Cade Cunningham of Texas and Emoni Bates of Michigan were named the finalists Thursday for Gatorade's national player of the year in high school basketball.
Mobley is ranked as No. 1 high school senior in the country, using 247 Sports’ composite rankings of recruits. Cunningham is ranked second in the senior class.
The 6-foot-11 Mobley attends Temecula Rancho Christian in California and is headed to Southern California.
The 6-foot-6 Cunningham is from Texas and attends Montverde Academy in Florida. He has signed to play at Oklahoma State next season.
Bates, a sophomore from Ypsilanti Lincoln High School in Michigan, is regarded as one of the top prep basketball players of any class.
The 6-foot-9 guard could potentially be selected with the No. 1 pick overall in two years if, as expected, the NBA and its players lower the minimum age for entering the draft from 19 to 18.
