Mizzou G Tamar Bates Earns SEC Honor

The Kansas City native scored 29 points in the Missouri Tigers' win over Kansas.

Dec 8, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers guard Tamar Bates (2) grimaces while getting a shot up during a game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Mizzou Arena. | Amber Winkler/MissouriOnSI

Tamar Bates goal going into Sunday's game against Kansas wasn't to lead the Missouri Tigers in scoring with 29 points. Nor was it too be named the SEC's Player of the Week.

But the senior guard accomplished both to lead the Tigers in an upset win over then-No. 1 ranked Kansas, the first win over the Jayhawks since 2012. The SEC accolade was announced Monday, the first time the Kansas City native won it.

"He didn't want to be the leading scorer," Missouri head coach Dennis Gates said of Bates after the win. "He just wanted to win, and that's how he practiced."

In addition to his dominant performance against the Jayhawks, Bates scored 15 points, created three steals and grabbed two rebounds in Missouri's 98-93 win over California.

Since transferring from Indiana ahead of the 2023-'24 season, Bates has been a character and production leader for the Tigers. Even through Missouri's 0-18 SEC stretch last season, Bates stayed hot, creating a streak of seven-straight games from Jan. 16 to Feb. 17 where he scored 15 or more points in each game.

With team captain Caleb Grill missing time due to a neck injury, Bates' leadership has become more important than ever on the court for Missouri.

"He stepped in, stepped up and it's his voice that we hear consistently," Gates said. "It's almost like he beats me to these statements that I need to make in a huddle. And players are looking at me like, 'yeah, Tamar just said that.'"

Missouri and Bates will next hit the court Saturday, Dec. 14, hosting Long Island University.

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