With the NBA Draft just over a month away, scheduled for June 25, prospects are beginning to turn heads during pre-draft workouts.
That's certainly been the case for Missouri Tigers graduate prospect Tamar Bates.
After spending his final two campaigns at Mizzou, Bates, while a bit unexpectedly, has emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect in the 2025 draft class.
In his final collegiate season with the Tigers, Bates found success, starting all 34 games, averaging 13.3 points per game, and shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc.
Bates began his collegiate career at Indiana University after being heavily recruited out of high school, but he could never quite put his game together in Bloomington.
Heading into the 2023–24 campaign, Bates, a Kansas City native, decided to make a move closer to home, transferring to Dennis Gates' program at the University of Missouri.
The player-coach relationship blossomed, and almost immediately there was a certain level of trust between Gates and Bates.
"My time at Missouri has prepared me for where I am now, based on a phrase Coach Gates said every day: 'Giving your very best,'" Bates said. "That is how I've carried myself throughout my time at Missouri and throughout this process. A lot of teams have taken notice of that, and it has helped me a lot, especially being able to play in all of the events that I have been able to throughout this predraft process."
One vivid memory stands out from a public summer practice ahead of the 2023–24 season. During a five-on-five drill — essentially a scrimmage — Bates found himself wide open in the corner. Instead of taking the three-pointer, he chose to drive the baseline in search of a layup. Before he could even finish the play, you could see the frustration on Gates' face. He stopped the drill and turned to address the fans in attendance.
“We need Tamar to shoot the three,” Gates emphasized. “When he gets open looks, he can't be afraid to take them. He needs to be taking those open looks.”
It was clear that Bates’ three-point shooting became a point of emphasis, as he went on to improve his percentage from beyond the arc in each of his four collegiate seasons.
This area of his game will certainly suit him well heading into the NBA, in a league where three-point shooting is at the forefront.
After an impressive showing at the NBA Combine, Bates has moved on to team workouts, already completing three in the past week. He visited the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz.
With the newfound momentum, it will certainly be interesting to see what more Bates is able to do in the coming weeks as he vies to earn a roster spot in the NBA.