Shaka Smart’s decision to leave Texas for Marquette last month is helping Indiana.
That’s because the Hoosiers on Monday landed a commitment from four-star shooting guard Tamar Bates, one of the top remaining players in the 2021 class. Bates signed his National Letter of Intent with the Longhorns in November but received a release from that commitment in the wake of Smart’s move to Marquette. At Indiana, he’ll have the chance to earn an immediate role replacing former guard Armaan Franklin, who recently announced his decision to transfer to Virginia.
At the time of his commitment to Texas last August, Bates held offers from Alabama, Creighton, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri and Oregon, among others.