There probably wasn’t anything Indiana could have done to keep Tamar Bates from transferring closer to home.
But there’s no doubt this version of Bates is exactly what the 2023-24 Hoosiers are missing.
The Missouri junior guard poured in a team-high 36 points in a loss to Florida on Saturday. He scored the 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting, including a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.
Bates is averaging 20.8 points per game over his last six contests. Known for struggling in true road games during his time at Indiana, he’s scored 19 at Alabama and 18 at Kentucky during the hot stretch.
On the season, Bates is shooting 50 percent from three on 40 attempts. Overall he’s shooting 55.4 percent from the field, far above his 37 percent make rate during two seasons at Indiana.
A national top-30 recruit, Bates was originally committed to play at Texas but flipped to IU following a coaching change there in 2021. He joined Mike Woodson’s first Indiana team for the 2021-22 campaign and spent two seasons in Bloomington.
As a sophomore at Indiana, the Kansas City, Kan. product was one of three Hoosiers to play in all 35 games during the 2022-23 season. He earned the first two starts of his career and averaged 6.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists for his sophomore campaign.
Overall, Bates shot 39.2% (76-of-194) from the floor, 37.4% (37-of-99) from the 3-point line, and 88.2% (45-of-51) from the free throw line last season.
Bates welcomed a baby daughter in March, 2022. His transfer to Missouri was in large part to be closer to his family.
As his production improves as an upperclassmen while Indiana is shorthanded at guard, Hoosiers fans can only wonder what might have been.
Not the result that #Mizzou wanted tonight against Florida…but can’t look past Tamar Bates’ night ⤵️
36 points | shot 61 percent from the field
Coach Gates says it’s one of the best individual performances he’s seen…but Tamar would rather have a win, of course. pic.twitter.com/O3Rsw38wMe
— Nathalie Jones (@NathalieABC17) January 21, 2024
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