Former Missouri Tigers basketball player impresses at G League Elite camp
Former Missouri men’s basketball player Tamar Bates, a native of Kansas City who made the all-tournament team at the recent Portsmouth Invitational for NBA prospects, on Sunday earned an invitation to the 2025 NBA Combine after impressing scouts at the two-day G League Elite Camp in Chicago.
Bates, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound guard who played two years at Indiana and two years at Mizzou, will take part in measurements and drills at the NBA Combine, Monday through Sunday in Chicago. He was one of five players out of 45 at G League Elite Camp asked to remain in Chicago for the Combine.
The other four to gain combine invitations: Mackenzie Mgbako (Indiana), Ryan Nembhard (Gonzaga), Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State), and Lachlan Olbrich (Illawarra Hawks, Australia).
Bates, a 22-year-old former standout at Piper High School in KC, scored a game-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting while playing 22 minutes in the first camp game on Saturday, then scored nine points on 2-of-8 shooting in 14 minutes in his final camp game Sunday.
Bates’ 19-point game came against a team that included his MU teammate, Caleb Grill, who scored nine points. Grill, who had 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting (3-of-5 from 3) on Sunday after finishing No. 1 at camp in vertical jump (38 inches), was not invited to remain in Chicago for the NBA Combine.
No Kansas or K-State players attended G League Elite camp. Zeke Mayo of KU and David N’Guessan of Kansas State did play at the recent Portsmouth Invitational. Mayo, N’Guessan as well as KU’s Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris and Shakeel Moore, who all have hopes of playing pro basketball, did not receive invitations to the 75-player NBA Combine. Those players will be able to work out individually for NBA teams.
Incoming KU senior wing Melvin Council Jr., a transfer from St. Bonaventure who has entered his name in the 2025 NBA Draft, was not invited to the G League Elite camp or NBA Combine. He has until May 28 to remove his name from the draft if he wishes to play a final season of college basketball at KU.
Texas Tech’s Darrion Williams and St. John’s R.J. Luis, who are in both the NBA Draft pool and transfer portal, will attend this week’s NBA Draft Combine. Both are said to be considering KU as transfer destinations.
Big 12 players who have been invited to the Combine include: Carter Bryant, Arizona; Egor Demin, BYU; VJ Edgecombe, Baylor; Javon Small, West Virginia and Milos Uzan, Houston.
There is still a slight chance KU’s Mayo, a 6-4 senior from Lawrence, could return for a fifth college season. He has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal with a no-contact tag in case the NCAA approves a proposed rule granting fourth-year players a fifth season.
Bates, meanwhile, averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game last season. Known as a good shooter, he hit 50.8% of his shots, including 39.7% from 3 and 94.6% from the line. At the Portsmouth Invitational, Bates averaged 16.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.7 steals in three games.
“I see myself as a ‘3 and D’ guy. I make shots on the offensive end and I try to be extremely disruptive on the defensive end,” Bates said after Saturday’s game in an interview posted on the G League X account. “I’m just looking to continue to build upon what I’ve always done. That’s kind of what got me here and got me some recognition throughout my career.”
The NBA Draft is June 25-26 in Brooklyn, New York.
This story was originally published May 12, 2025 at 8:51 AM with the headline "Former Missouri Tigers basketball player impresses at G League Elite camp."
