Indiana transfer Tamar Bates hears from notable schools after entering portal

Indiana guard Tamar Bates hit the Transfer Portal this week, following the most successful Hoosiers season in the last decade, where Bates served as one cog in a rotation of swingmen around All-American Trayce Jackson-Davis and freshman point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino. With those two running the offense, Bates and a slew of other wings filled in around to make IU a really solid club on both ends of the ball.

But after still serving in a smaller role in his second season in Bloomington, the former top-50 recruit is on the market and looking to head elsewhere. According to college hoops recruiting insider Jake Weingarten, the following schools have already reached out to the IU guard. Weingarten tweeted the following report on Thursday morning:

Schools interested in Bates

“Indiana transfer Tamar Bates heard from the following schools yesterday, following his entry to the transfer portal, he told @Stockrisers: Mizzou, Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Michigan, Creighton, Arkansas, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Wichita State, others.”

A list exclusively of power conference programs, if you consider the AAC one of them. Initially what sticks is out is those are mostly defensive-minded schools aside from Missouri. In fact, every school on that list besides the Tigers ranked higher in defensive efficiency than offensive efficiency in 2023. Given Bates’ natural strength and athleticism coupled with his motor, he is a terrific defender. Out of high school, scouts hoped that body combined with a good looking jumper would project for a strong offensive player at the college level. But Bates really hasn’t developed any playmaking ability or creativity as a scorer and instead has been more of a catch and shoot threat.

However, a catch-and-shoot threat with his athletic traits and defensive ability will be attractive to some more defensive-minded programs. You could easily see him fitting in as a swingman for Kansas State, Oklahoma, Arkansas or Iowa State. Just one of those 3-and-D wings who will provide defense, shooting, and now, some veteran leadership as well.

If the schools above represented the entirety of Bates’ options, those would be some pretty potential landing spots. But that’s just who’s reached out to him initially. In the coming days and weeks, likely even more power programs reach out to the tough-minded guard.

Not always productive, but Bates has plenty of skills that team’s will talk themselves into with him.