Indiana University Athletics
Bates Brings Spark to Hoosier Cause
11/14/2022 9:30:00 AM | Men's Basketball
By Pete DiPrimio
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Cream 'n Crimson basketball truth resonates for Tamar Bates. It's not who starts or even finishes that matters. It's what you do with your allotted time.
The sophomore guard is not an Indiana starter. He might never be in this season of so much depth and promise, but that's not the point. Opportunities are everywhere you look if you play hard, defend hard and push to coach Mike Woodson's expectations.
"The end goal is to win," Bates says. "No matter who starts, we're always keeping the long game in mind, which is coming up with a W."
Bates was once a superstar high school prospect -- and a starter -- building a national recruiting rating as high as No. 23 by ESPN.com. Now, he's part of IU's second unit -- Woodson says Bates has been one of the Hoosiers' most consistent players since the summer -- and the adjustment goes just fine.
"The focus remains the same," he says. "Me subbing in and coming off the bench and (opposing) teams having to deal with that makes us so much better. It shows how strong we are as a unit."
Woodson prefers a rotation where starters play the first five to eight minutes, then the second unit comes in, and then it's mix and match based on how the game goes.
"I come in after three minutes, five minutes, however long into the game it goes," Bates says. "I can get a feel from seeing what's going on from a scouting standpoint, what they like to do, what they like to do early."
Ask him to define his role, and Bates says, "it's to bring a spark and change the flow of the game by doing what I do best, which is defending, getting out in transition, getting easy baskets, making shots, creating my own shot, creating opportunities for others to score, leading the defense when I'm on the backline."
Then there's the leadership component.
"It's constantly communicating," Bates says. "Bringing the young guys along. Be that guy they can come to and navigate this journey their freshman year."
It starts with Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, who get the bulk of the freshman minutes.
"Help them feel comfortable and continue to do what they can to help us win games," Bates says, "because that's what it's all about."
Bates averages 22.5 minutes per game, which is just ahead of All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (22.0) and behind only Hood Schifino (27.5) on the team. He averages 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 54.5% from the field. He's 2-for-7 on three-pointers.
Last season, he averaged 3.9 points and shot 33.8% from the field. His improvement starts, he says, with "more experience."
"I know more in terms of the team dynamic as far as what Coach Woodson and the rest of the staff want from me. The mental standpoint knowing I can play through mistakes. Play hard. Know that the coaching staff has more trust in me to help us win games."
Trust also comes from maturity. Bates has a baby daughter -- Leilani Nicole was born last spring -- to support along with the athletic and academic demands that come from high-level college basketball. He recently added a tattoo of her name to remind him of the responsibility.
"She's not with me all the time," he says, "but she is really special to me. Getting her name tattooed on me is like carrying her with me all the time."
As far as basketball, what's playing for Woodson like?
"We always know when the time and place is to be serious, and when we can joke around and have fun," Bates says. "There's a fine line between fun, and really working and doing our business.
"He does a good job of facilitating when guys are comfortable being themselves and knowing we have a job to do. Everybody has to pull his weight and focus when that time comes."
Focus produces strong practice competition. There's no time to take days -- or even minutes -- off. It was intense last year, Bates says. It's more so now.
"It's a noticeable difference. That makes us better. Games can be easier than practice. There ain't no rest. It's good to get high-level reps in practice."
In practice, Woodson often has starters scrimmage against the second unit. No one backs down.
"When we split the teams up," Bates says, "we always compete. There's never a time when it's completely one sided or we just lay down. We get after it every day because we have the guys who can compete with our first five."
Woodson has pushed for no drop off when substitutions are made. It puts maximum pressure on opposing teams.
"A team is only as good as the last man on the bench," Bates says. "It's not just providing a spark. It's whatever the game calls for.
"When you have depth, you can go to your bench and rely on those guys to make plays. We take pride in the fact we can make plays and help us win. It takes pressure off the guys who do start. They know when they sub out, there's somebody they can trust to make winning plays."
Thirteenth-ranked IU (2-0) has blowout victories in its two exhibitions and two regular season games, but all were at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
With Friday's game at Xavier (2-0), the challenge magnifies dramatically, starting with a sold-out, 10,224-seat Cintas Center.
The Musketeers are not ranked, but they are receiving votes in the polls. They opened with home victories of 22 and 23 points against Montana and Morgan State. They host Fairfield on Tuesday night.
Xavier is coached by Sean Miller, the former Arizona head coach and the brother of Archie Miller, the ex-IU coach.
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Cream 'n Crimson basketball truth resonates for Tamar Bates. It's not who starts or even finishes that matters. It's what you do with your allotted time.
The sophomore guard is not an Indiana starter. He might never be in this season of so much depth and promise, but that's not the point. Opportunities are everywhere you look if you play hard, defend hard and push to coach Mike Woodson's expectations.
"The end goal is to win," Bates says. "No matter who starts, we're always keeping the long game in mind, which is coming up with a W."
Bates was once a superstar high school prospect -- and a starter -- building a national recruiting rating as high as No. 23 by ESPN.com. Now, he's part of IU's second unit -- Woodson says Bates has been one of the Hoosiers' most consistent players since the summer -- and the adjustment goes just fine.
"The focus remains the same," he says. "Me subbing in and coming off the bench and (opposing) teams having to deal with that makes us so much better. It shows how strong we are as a unit."
Woodson prefers a rotation where starters play the first five to eight minutes, then the second unit comes in, and then it's mix and match based on how the game goes.
"I come in after three minutes, five minutes, however long into the game it goes," Bates says. "I can get a feel from seeing what's going on from a scouting standpoint, what they like to do, what they like to do early."
Ask him to define his role, and Bates says, "it's to bring a spark and change the flow of the game by doing what I do best, which is defending, getting out in transition, getting easy baskets, making shots, creating my own shot, creating opportunities for others to score, leading the defense when I'm on the backline."
Then there's the leadership component.
"It's constantly communicating," Bates says. "Bringing the young guys along. Be that guy they can come to and navigate this journey their freshman year."
It starts with Jalen Hood-Schifino and Malik Reneau, who get the bulk of the freshman minutes.
"Help them feel comfortable and continue to do what they can to help us win games," Bates says, "because that's what it's all about."
Bates averages 22.5 minutes per game, which is just ahead of All-America forward Trayce Jackson-Davis (22.0) and behind only Hood Schifino (27.5) on the team. He averages 7.0 points and 2.0 rebounds while shooting 54.5% from the field. He's 2-for-7 on three-pointers.
Last season, he averaged 3.9 points and shot 33.8% from the field. His improvement starts, he says, with "more experience."
"I know more in terms of the team dynamic as far as what Coach Woodson and the rest of the staff want from me. The mental standpoint knowing I can play through mistakes. Play hard. Know that the coaching staff has more trust in me to help us win games."
Trust also comes from maturity. Bates has a baby daughter -- Leilani Nicole was born last spring -- to support along with the athletic and academic demands that come from high-level college basketball. He recently added a tattoo of her name to remind him of the responsibility.
"She's not with me all the time," he says, "but she is really special to me. Getting her name tattooed on me is like carrying her with me all the time."
As far as basketball, what's playing for Woodson like?
"We always know when the time and place is to be serious, and when we can joke around and have fun," Bates says. "There's a fine line between fun, and really working and doing our business.
"He does a good job of facilitating when guys are comfortable being themselves and knowing we have a job to do. Everybody has to pull his weight and focus when that time comes."
Focus produces strong practice competition. There's no time to take days -- or even minutes -- off. It was intense last year, Bates says. It's more so now.
"It's a noticeable difference. That makes us better. Games can be easier than practice. There ain't no rest. It's good to get high-level reps in practice."
In practice, Woodson often has starters scrimmage against the second unit. No one backs down.
"When we split the teams up," Bates says, "we always compete. There's never a time when it's completely one sided or we just lay down. We get after it every day because we have the guys who can compete with our first five."
Woodson has pushed for no drop off when substitutions are made. It puts maximum pressure on opposing teams.
"A team is only as good as the last man on the bench," Bates says. "It's not just providing a spark. It's whatever the game calls for.
"When you have depth, you can go to your bench and rely on those guys to make plays. We take pride in the fact we can make plays and help us win. It takes pressure off the guys who do start. They know when they sub out, there's somebody they can trust to make winning plays."
Thirteenth-ranked IU (2-0) has blowout victories in its two exhibitions and two regular season games, but all were at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
With Friday's game at Xavier (2-0), the challenge magnifies dramatically, starting with a sold-out, 10,224-seat Cintas Center.
The Musketeers are not ranked, but they are receiving votes in the polls. They opened with home victories of 22 and 23 points against Montana and Morgan State. They host Fairfield on Tuesday night.
Xavier is coached by Sean Miller, the former Arizona head coach and the brother of Archie Miller, the ex-IU coach.
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