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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tamar Bates knows the load that’s on his shoulders, and it’s a heavier weight than most.
The Missouri basketball senior and team captain sat down in the locker room after the 7-seeded Tigers downed 10-seed Mississippi State 85-73 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. It's a locker room that depends on him.
There’s been a persistent inkling that Mizzou requires Bates to lead the way — that MU needs the senior out of Kansas City, Kansas, to be at his best to experience success this season.
Well, Bates led all scorers with 25 points on a 8-of-12 clip from the field, a 3-of-5 mark from 3-point range and a 6-of-6 mark from the free throw line. That’s certainly some success.
But that’s only the half of it.
It isn’t just an inkling. Missouri is reliant on Bates.
“I mean," Bates said, "the guys in this locker room always tell me that we go as far as I take us."
That's a big ask for a player, right?
But Bates doesn't seem put out by it. If anything, he appears to like the challenge.
“So, just being an engine, being a captain, I know I gotta kind of lead that first punch coming out of the gate," Bates said. "And when I have that certain look in my eyes and that certain aggression, everybody else follows, so I’m looking to just continue that throughout this tournament and throughout March.”
Bates was everything Missouri needed him to be Thursday.
The Tigers broke a three-game slump leading into the postseason and set up a quarterfinals dual with Florida at 6 p.m. Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
Mizzou (22-10) had to prove that it can still land a punch. It had just lost four of its last five games, allowing at least 90 points four times in that spell, too. Bates only eclipsed 11 points once in that run.
So, long before Mizzou and MSU even tipped off, while Missouri still was in the troughs of its worst stretch of the season, Bates was the first punch.
“You can see it on his face on the bus ride over,” MU forward Trent Pierce said. “He's just like, no emotion, straight face. So just seeing that, he's been a leader to the younger guys, just by showing us, you know, we’ve gotta be locked up in this game. We can't take them lightly.”
Or before that?
“He’s very hard,” MU point guard Anthony Robinson II said. “He talks a lot. We love that about him.”
And?
“That dude has been locked in all week,” Pierce said.
There were multiple occasions where Thursday's knockout game looked like it could have escaped MU — like the last few.
All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell left the game in the first half and was unable to return. Robinson was in foul trouble about three minutes after tipoff. Josh Gray, who had a season-high 12 rebounds, spent time in the locker room after cramping early in the second half, leading Aidan Shaw to get some rare, extended minutes. Caleb Grill did not have his best night, per his own self-review, with a 2-of-11 night from the field.
More: Here’s what Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates is paid and where it ranks among SEC coaches
More: Watch Caleb Grill beat 1st half buzzer to extend Missouri basketball lead vs Mississippi State
Still, Mizzou never fell more than three points behind. But, despite leading for most of the evening, MU couldn’t pull away. With four minutes to play out of the last media timeout, Missouri had a two-point lead in a game that had been tied 17 times and the lead had changed hands nine times.
Step up, Tamar Bates.
He went on a 6-0 personal run to make it a 10-point game with less than a minute left.
Before that, he had battled his way to the line, he threw down another signature dunk and clipped a step back 3.
That’s what Mizzou needs him to be on the court.
MU freshman Marcus Allen, quite candidly said that’s how Bates needs to play if Missouri is going to win. There appears to be an expectation that the senior is taking Mizzou wherever it can go. It’s in Bates’ face.
There’s a reason it isn’t overwhelming for Bates, and it comes down to trust.
Trust that runs both ways.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s hard or it's a burden, simply because I put the work in, I put the time in, I trust myself,” Bates said. “But not only do I trust myself, I trust this team. I’ve got a really strong experience and obviously well-coached group around me, so we’re all here for each other.
"It may not be my night every night, but I mean, we’re 18 strong, and when we come out here and guard and put our best foot forward and everybody's playing to their strengths, the sky's the limit.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball relies on Tamar Bates. The senior knows, and thrived
Continue reading...
The Missouri basketball senior and team captain sat down in the locker room after the 7-seeded Tigers downed 10-seed Mississippi State 85-73 in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday at Bridgestone Arena. It's a locker room that depends on him.
There’s been a persistent inkling that Mizzou requires Bates to lead the way — that MU needs the senior out of Kansas City, Kansas, to be at his best to experience success this season.
Well, Bates led all scorers with 25 points on a 8-of-12 clip from the field, a 3-of-5 mark from 3-point range and a 6-of-6 mark from the free throw line. That’s certainly some success.
But that’s only the half of it.
It isn’t just an inkling. Missouri is reliant on Bates.
“I mean," Bates said, "the guys in this locker room always tell me that we go as far as I take us."
That's a big ask for a player, right?
But Bates doesn't seem put out by it. If anything, he appears to like the challenge.
“So, just being an engine, being a captain, I know I gotta kind of lead that first punch coming out of the gate," Bates said. "And when I have that certain look in my eyes and that certain aggression, everybody else follows, so I’m looking to just continue that throughout this tournament and throughout March.”
Bates was everything Missouri needed him to be Thursday.
The Tigers broke a three-game slump leading into the postseason and set up a quarterfinals dual with Florida at 6 p.m. Friday at Bridgestone Arena.
Mizzou (22-10) had to prove that it can still land a punch. It had just lost four of its last five games, allowing at least 90 points four times in that spell, too. Bates only eclipsed 11 points once in that run.
So, long before Mizzou and MSU even tipped off, while Missouri still was in the troughs of its worst stretch of the season, Bates was the first punch.
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“You can see it on his face on the bus ride over,” MU forward Trent Pierce said. “He's just like, no emotion, straight face. So just seeing that, he's been a leader to the younger guys, just by showing us, you know, we’ve gotta be locked up in this game. We can't take them lightly.”
Or before that?
“He’s very hard,” MU point guard Anthony Robinson II said. “He talks a lot. We love that about him.”
And?
“That dude has been locked in all week,” Pierce said.
There were multiple occasions where Thursday's knockout game looked like it could have escaped MU — like the last few.
All-SEC forward Mark Mitchell left the game in the first half and was unable to return. Robinson was in foul trouble about three minutes after tipoff. Josh Gray, who had a season-high 12 rebounds, spent time in the locker room after cramping early in the second half, leading Aidan Shaw to get some rare, extended minutes. Caleb Grill did not have his best night, per his own self-review, with a 2-of-11 night from the field.
More: Here’s what Missouri basketball coach Dennis Gates is paid and where it ranks among SEC coaches
More: Watch Caleb Grill beat 1st half buzzer to extend Missouri basketball lead vs Mississippi State
Still, Mizzou never fell more than three points behind. But, despite leading for most of the evening, MU couldn’t pull away. With four minutes to play out of the last media timeout, Missouri had a two-point lead in a game that had been tied 17 times and the lead had changed hands nine times.
Step up, Tamar Bates.
He went on a 6-0 personal run to make it a 10-point game with less than a minute left.
Before that, he had battled his way to the line, he threw down another signature dunk and clipped a step back 3.
You must be registered for see images attach
That’s what Mizzou needs him to be on the court.
MU freshman Marcus Allen, quite candidly said that’s how Bates needs to play if Missouri is going to win. There appears to be an expectation that the senior is taking Mizzou wherever it can go. It’s in Bates’ face.
There’s a reason it isn’t overwhelming for Bates, and it comes down to trust.
Trust that runs both ways.
“I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s hard or it's a burden, simply because I put the work in, I put the time in, I trust myself,” Bates said. “But not only do I trust myself, I trust this team. I’ve got a really strong experience and obviously well-coached group around me, so we’re all here for each other.
"It may not be my night every night, but I mean, we’re 18 strong, and when we come out here and guard and put our best foot forward and everybody's playing to their strengths, the sky's the limit.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri basketball relies on Tamar Bates. The senior knows, and thrived
Continue reading...
