Season Preview: Tamar Bates

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The 2022-23 Indiana men's basketball season gets started in just a few short months. Therefore, it's a perfect time to start looking ahead and breaking down each scholarship player on the roster and previewing what to expect out of them this upcoming year.

Today, we take a look at sophomore guard Tamar Bates with a recap of last season, preview of this upcoming season, plus some notable quotes.

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Other Season Previews: Xavier Johnson, Race Thompson, Miller Kopp, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Trey Galloway, Jordan Geronimo, Anthony Leal

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With only two weeks after Mike Woodson was named the new head coach of Indiana, he was able to secure he first major recruiting win when he landed four-star shooting guard Tamar Bates after the Kansas City, Missouri native decommited from Texas due to a coaching change. His skill level, size at the shooting guard spot, and defensive talent made him a player that was going to come in right away and produce in Woodson's first season at the helm.

Although the stats do not jump off the page, Bates was one of the key players off the bench when it came to Indiana's backcourt rotation. In 32 game appearances, Bates averaged 3.9 points, 1.3 rebounds, along with playing 14.5 minutes per game. He had a made field-goal percentage of 33.8% including shooting 29.8% from three.

At the beginning of the season, Bates played extremely well and was arguably Indiana's best scoring option off the bench. However, as the season went on, Bates really struggled with consistency and rhythm which forced his minuets to slip away a little bit once Indiana was deep into the Big Ten conference. He had some good moments towards the end of the season, but was just never at that level he was at the start of the year.

Bates' freshman year was certainly rocky at times, however he showed a lot of flashes of the potential he has to be an important part of Indiana's future. He showed that he is already a reliable defender and can eventually be a guy that can provide some high level scoring at all three levels.

Given Indiana's roster outlook, Bates projects to be a player that will be one of the first off the bench. The most important area to watch for with Bates this season is if he is going to be consistent or not. An up-and-down year two could be a problem, especially when it comes to bench production.

What makes Bates a player that many fans have high hopes for is how true of a shooting guard he is. He has the length and ability to create his own shot, and can often times be a playmaker on the floor. Where Bates can help Indiana get to that next level is obviously improving from behind the arc.

Shooting just 29.8% from three last season does not cut it, and honestly may not be a true representation of how good of a outside shooter Bates could be. If Bates can improve his shot making at the wing, he honestly could be in the running for a starting spot if Miller Kopp struggles again.

On the defensive end, Bates should once again be a player that Woodson can trust on that end. Bates' IQ on the defensive side is what made him one of the most sought after recruits out of IMG Academy and the guard proved that he can be lockdown on the wing at times last season. Improving his overall size and strength, which looks to have already happened, will only help him on that end as well.

He may have struggled for the majority of his freshman season, but with a year of experience under his belt, Bates is going to be one of the key pieces for Indiana if they are going to find success this year. He has been projected to be one of college basketball's breakout sophomores, which he certainly has the potential to accomplish. Bates fits that need of a much-needed scorer and playmaker on the wing that Woodson and Indiana are missing.

"He's figured out how to put the ball in the hole," IU head coach Mike Woodson said last season. "The thing I'll say about Tamar, he's not scared of the moment. He'll take a big shot, and sometimes it's a bad shot, but hey, I'm not complaining . . . I like everything about Tamar. That's why he's here wearing an Indiana uniform.''

"For me, it's just all about staying confident, believing in myself and the fact that my teammates believe in me, and they are going to keep swinging it to me because I'm knocking it down," Bates said last season. "That makes me just want to make the shot because they believe in me the same way I believe in myself.''

“He’s someone that never found his rhythm," Trayce Jackson-Davis previously said. "He’s just performing at a high level so far this summer, he’s shooting the ball really well. He’s going to stand out. People are going to be like, 'wow.'"

“We not the hunters no more. We're the hunted," said Tamar Bates.

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