PLAYER PROFILE: TAMAR BATES

Tamar Bates, a 6’ 5” guard from Kansas City, Kansas, attended Piper High School, where he earned the ranking of #23 player in the nation from 247sports.com. He was a two-time All-State honoree in his time at Piper, averaging 22.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.0 steals as a junior, and shot an outstanding 44.1 percent from 3-point range. His high player ranking prompted Bates to seek higher competition, which he found after transferring to prep school IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida for his senior year. While at IMG Academy, Bates continued to perform at a high level, putting up 11.4 points during the 2020-21 season, and hitting threes to the tune of 40.0 percent.

Bates had originally committed to play basketball for the Texas Longhorns in 2020, but after his senior year, he flipped his commitment to play for the Indiana Hoosiers. In his time in Bloomington, Bates averaged 6.1 points and appeared in 67 games. Following his sophomore season, Bates transferred to the University of Missouri and made an immediate impact. He appeared in every game in his two years with the Tigers, starting his last 59 in a row. His senior season, Bates ranked first nationally and broke a school record by shooting 94.6 percent from the free-throw line. In December of 2024, he earned the titles of NCAA March Madness National Player of the Week and SEC Player of the Week. After a 22-12 season, Bates led the Tigers to a #6 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

After going undrafted in the 2025 NBA draft, Bates signed a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets.