When a head coach is fired or moves on to a different school, there is going to be turnover both on the roster and in the recruiting world. Since Shaka Smart headed back home to Marquette, two players have entered the transfer portal and Kai Jones has declared for the NBA draft.
Another player will be leaving the program before ever playing a game.
Four-star shooting guard Tamar Bates, Texas’ top signee in the 2021 recruiting class, has requested a release from his national letter of intent. Bates is listed at 6-4, 175-pounds and went to IMG Academy in Florida. On the 247Sports composite, he ranked as the No. 56 overall player and the No. 14 shooting guard.
His loss will severely hurt the Longhorns, especially with how thin the 2021-2022 roster could be. Guard Matt Coleman is expected to leave, while Andrew Jones and Courtney Ramey are still in the air. If all three do decide to test the NBA waters, Texas’ depth at guard will be one of the thinnest in the Big 12.
After a lot of careful consideration and conversation with my family I have decided to request a release from my letter of intent with the University of Texas Men’s Basketball team.
— Tamar Bates (@tbates_11) March 29, 2021
11 days before his commitment in Aug. 2020, Bates released a top seven schools list. Alabama, Creighton, Iowa State, Kansas, Missouri, and Oregon will all in contention for the shooting guard before he ultimately picked Texas.
According to Eric Bossi of 247Sports, the four-star will not be discussing his recruitment until after his season at the GEICO Nationals. As Bates is originally from Kansas City, Kansas and Missouri should be two schools to look out for.
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