INDIANA UNIVERSITY BASKETBALL MEDIA CONFERENCE

December 23, 2022

Tamar Bates

Postgame Media Conference

Indiana - 69

Kennesaw State - 55

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tamar, what has been happening that your offense has really picked up, been consistent over three, four, five games?

TAMAR BATES: Pretty much the same thing that I said in Vegas: it's not a secret recipe or any mystery as to why anything is going, I guess you could say, my way on the offensive end. It's just putting the work in, that's all, by myself, with the team. Also knowing that my teammates and the coaches have the confidence in me to go play my game.

Q. Tamar, you had 19 points tonight. It was either hitting threes or going to the rim and getting the dunks. Talk about how important that is.

TAMAR BATES: I mean, just depending on the floor, the game, I always want to try to pick my spots, do what I can to bring us some energy, because we needed that tonight.

It wasn't necessarily a slow start, but it just wasn't too much energy in the group on both ends of the floor. I just tried to find a way where I could bring a spark in. Tonight I was running the floor and getting on the rim.

Q. When you see one of your shots fall, how much confidence does that give you? Do you need to see a couple more to fall before feeling in the zone?

TAMAR BATES: Honestly, I was really confident on the first three that I shot that went in and out. The pullup was in and out, too. I knew it was going to be a pretty solid shooting night.

But, yeah, I mean, I feel like that's pretty much the thing for anybody. If you see one fall, two fall, especially consecutively, you itching to get the next one up.

Q. We hear the players talk about the nail slot rim a lot. Do those assignments change for a team like Kennesaw State that shoots so well from three or do you stick with that no matter what?

TAMAR BATES: We always stick to what we want to do. Tonight we had to extend our nail a little bit because we were really deep on the free-throw line. We wanted to bring it out more where the three-point line is just so we could get out to the shooters a lot quicker. You saw they were making a lot of shots, a lot of threes. That's where most of their offense came from.

We always stick to what we want to do, but when adjustments need to be made, we'll do so.

Q. You're on the court two hours before tip-off getting work in. What is your mentality as far as getting that kind of work in?

TAMAR BATES: I just keep the same schedule, same routine for home games. It's hard for away games just 'cause the games are at different times.

I keep the same routine pretty much. I did the same thing last year, so... Just keeping the same routine every game just so it all feels the same coming into it.

Q. Off the wall. I think Race mentioned you also do your prepractice stretching routine. What is that and why?

TAMAR BATES: I mean, just 'cause I want to take care of my body, just be able to play, just be available like I always say.

I mean, we put so much work in on the court, in the weight room, we got to take some time to really rewind and take care of our bodies, stretch and recover.

Q. Where did it come from? How did you refine it realizing this is what gets me loose?

TAMAR BATES: I started, like, stretching, really trying to invest more in my body in high school, like my junior and senior year. More so my senior year because that's when I got more into the Yoga, meditation through my team. That was things we did two, three times a week.

Those habits just built over time. That's just something that is second nature now.

Q. Your field goal percentage is way up this season. Is there anything with your shot mechanics that you changed from last year to this year?

TAMAR BATES: I wouldn't say I changed my shot mechanics. Just more so calming down and shooting the ball, having that mentality where just to shoot the ball in the game the same way when I'm in there working out and it's empty. That's pretty much it. Just calming down, not being so tense really, taking a lot of pressure off myself.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Tamar.