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Tamar Bates earned the game's largest applause as he checked out for the final time on Friday afternoon. With 4:26 to go and a more than commanding lead, Bates' performance had just spearheaded the efforts of a wire-to-wire victory for the Hoosiers in their last tune-up before the much-anticipated matchup with North Carolina.

Coming out of high school, Bates was the 34th ranked prospect in his recruiting class coming out of IMG Academy. Early and often throughout his freshman year Bates would show glimpses of promise. Other times though, he looked like an overmatched freshman who was reluctant to let the game come to him.

This season so far, Bates has held a similar role, playing the role of a key offensive creator for a second unit that has flown all over the place and created instant impact nearly every time they touch the floor.

With a year under his belt now at the college level, Tamar's performance on Friday afternoon was worthy of all of the adoration and praise from the Assembly Hall faithful. Yet, for this program who has had faith in him from the beginning, it was only a matter of time before a game like Friday's happened.

"Well, he finally had a break-out game. I'm not surprised or shocked," Indiana head coach Mike Woodson said afterwards. "You know, I mean, when we started this journey with this team five months ago, he was probably one of our best players playing."

Bates' career and team-high 22 points on the afternoon is what instantly jumps off the stat sheet, doing so at an 8-11 clip, adding in four 3's on six attempts. Yet, it wasn't just the scoring that earned him the fond response he garnered. Bates' defense and fast-paced play in transition completed an all-around outing for the sophomore guard on the day.

"Tonight he kind of put it all together," Woodson said. "Boy, made shots. I thought he defended well, and he just did a lot of good things in the short minutes that he played, the 22, 23 minutes that he played."

As a leader on the aforementioned exciting bench unit that has continued to impress and produce this season, Bates flourishing in his role does wonders for his argument to earn more minutes amongst a group of guys who, at least so far, look like they'll be hard to keep off the floor. It's partially the fulfillment of a summer that saw Tamar make a considerable jump in his play, further unlocking some of the talent he has the potential to unleash.

Bates also notably took on a larger role in life this past summer, becoming a father to his daughter Leilani. Whatever cliche you want to use to describe it, Bates' life-changing summer has been just as game-changing.

"I thought this summer, you know, he accepted what he was going through, which he had no choice, and he started to grow up," Woodson said. "And these five months that we've been together after coming back, you know, he has shown some signs of maturity. We're going to need that from him because he can make shots, and he can do things from an offensive standpoint that I want him to do."

With his daughter on his hip as he sat down for his postgame presser, the importance of a game and performance like Friday's is understated by the ability to do it in front of his family.

"You know, it means a lot that my family was here with me, because last year was the first time I ever missed Thanksgiving," Bates said. "The fact we were all able to spend it together was special."

Tamar Bates' daughter is his biggest - and smallest - 'new purpose' in life

Bates' daughter doesn't live with him while he's here at IU, instead staying home where she can receive full-time care, which is vital for her at such an early age. According to Bates, Wednesday's and Friday's contests are the first two that Leilani has been able to be at in person.

"I have an army behind me," Bates said with regards to the balance of playing Division I basketball and being a father. "My family does a great job when she's back home with them, so it really just takes a lot of stress off of me."

Bates would go on to highlight the importance of keeping that balance in check, alluding to finding sound the same way a trombone player would when it's needed. While the answer, much like Xavier Johnson's usage of the word "dinosaur" and Miller Kopp's usage of the word "chicken," fulfilled the newest game amongst the IU roster of squeezing in random words during postgame pressers, it also is a showcase in of itself as to just how freely and fun Indiana's roster is playing with right now.

They're loose and playing with an intense and heightened purpose. Pun partially intended, six games into the season, the Hoosiers' play has found their own sound and rhythm.

Bates is a big part of that.

"When he first came in, he would talk, but he would just talk trash," said senior guard Xavier Johnson after the game. "This summer though, he came in with a different attitude. He grew up a lot, he matured.

"Came in, told the guys, there was a video that came out, we were going to be the 'hunted,' so we have to come out and still be the hunters and be ready to play."

As the Hoosiers have cleared another round of tune-ups, a wire-to-wire domination is exactly what the doctor ordered ahead of the upcoming slate. With UNC, two conference games, a date with Arizona in Vegas and a trip to the home of the reigning national champions the next five up for Indiana, it'll be all hands on deck for Indiana to churn out desired results.

It shouldn't come as a surprise if Bates plays a big hand in those efforts.

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