2018-19: The Cookeville, Tenn.-native ranked second on the team in scoring this year with a career-best 13.5 points per game scoring average. Bates has 49 career double-digit scoring efforts, including six consecutive.  The senior turned in a 26-point effort from the field against Lander to match a career high in the second game of the season.  He has four 20-point scoring efforts this year.  The Eagles are 3-1 in such games. With a hook shot against Coker, Bates became the 27th member of Carson-Newman's 1,000-point club. Bates presently sits at 1,038 points for his career. The senior has been efficient and effective around the rim, shooting 45 percent from the field.  Bates is second in the SAC in free throw shooting.  He's knocked down 104-of-123 free throw attempts, an 84.6 percent clip. Bates is the 20^th player in school history to make at least 100 free throws in a single season. 

HONORS:

• CoSIDA Academic All-District 

2017-18: Bates appeared in 27 games with two starts in his redshirt junior campaign.  He was C-N's fifth leading scoring with 9.9 points per game.  A frequent stat-sheet stuffer, Bates was second on the team with 5.6 rebounds, third in assists with 86 and fourth in blocks with 17. Bates scored in double figures 13 times, leading C-N to a 12-1 record when he topped 10 points.  He reset his career high for scoring agaisnt Tusculum (2/14) on Valentine's day with a 26-point effort in Holf Fieldhouse.  He was 6-of-12 from the field that day and went a career-high 12-for-14 from the free throw line.  Bates also pulled in the first three double-doubles of his career. The first came against Lee (11/25) with a 16-point, 10-board effort.  He had Carson-Newman's first double-double with points and assists in 11 years against Lenoir-Rhyne (12/16) and came within a rebound of a triple-double that day.  His final one came against Catawba (2/17) and was aided by a career-high 13 boards.  He also handed out at least five assists on a sextet of occasions. He knocked down a career-high five threes against Mars Hill (11/29). 

2016-17: Appered in four games before tearing his labrum and sitting out the rest of the year with a medical redshirt.  He averaged 6.8 points per game and three rebounds.  His top effort came in the Eagles' upset of LMU (11/22) with 10 points.  

HONORS: 

• Eagle Scholar

2015-16: Bates was Carson-Newman's sixth-leading scorer as a sophomore.  He averaged 8.5 points per game to go along with 3.4 rebounds per contest.  He shot 51 percent from the field and 39 percent from three to go along with a 72.1 percent effort at the charity stripe.  Bates topped double digits in 11 games for C-N as a sophomore including a career high 20 against Mars Hill (2/3).  The Eagles were 9-2 when he scored at least 10.  He snagged at least five rebounds on nine occasions, topping out with a career high of eight in that same game against the Lions.  He dished out a career best seven assists in the Eagles' upset victory over No. 20 Lenoir-Rhyne (12/19).  Bates led Carson-Newman in steals on eight occasions and had a career high four pilfers in a game against No. 15 Queens (1/30). 

2014-15: Bates was Carson-Newman's sixth-leading scorer as a freshman. He appeared in 30 games and started 23, missing two because of a concussion.  Bates shot 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from three en route to averagine 6.0 points per game. He also averaged 3.3 rebounds and dished out 2.4 assists per game. He connected on 76 percent of his free throws. Bates finished the year with six double-digit scoring efforts.  He hit has career high of 15 twice, against Tusculum (1/21) and Mars Hill (1/7).  Carson-Newman was 4-2 when he crested 10 points. Bates snagged five or more rebounds on seven occasions, including a seven rebound effort twice, once against Lenoir-Rhyne (2/7) and agaub against Tusculum (11/19).  He led the Eagles in assists on eight occasions and had a career high six helpers in his second career game against Mount Olive (11/15). 

High School:  A 6-4, 200-pound guard, averaged 14 points, 7.0 boards and 4.8 assists in his senior season for the Cavaliers. He canned 50 percent of his shots and 36 percent of his threes his senior year.  He earned All-Discrict accolades while dishing out 100 assists.  Was also an All-Region selection and BCAT East/West All Star Game participan.  Cookeville earned a regular season district championship his senior year. As a junior, he earned Watertown Christmas Classic honors and won the Newcomer of the Year award for the league.  He helped Cookeville to a district regular season and tournament championship and helped Cheatham County to a regional title in his junior season.

Personal: Bates is a member of the Beta Club and a National Science and Bible award winner.  He's the son of Lee and Barbara Bates.  His sister, Destinee played basketball for Tusculum and his cousin Tyler Jacquess played basketball for Tennessee Wesleyan.  He graduated with a his undergraduate degree in business management with a minor in accounting and is now working toward his MBA.  He plans to pursue a career in finance.