Prospect Spotlight: Caleb Bates (2019)
Caleb Bates is one of the most intriguing high level prospects in Michigan. He is a 6’7”, 230 lb small forward / wing from Lake Shore High School. Bates averaged 24.7ppg, 14.5rpg, 2.8apg, and 1.3bpg. The senior started grassroots season with the Michigan Mustangs and finished with M2K Elite.
Bates brings an excellent skill set to the court. He’s an aggressive scorer and rebounder who takes pride in outworking his opponent. Bates had 19 double-doubles in 20 games. He is a physical player with a nose for the ball and will battle for position under the rim. Bates has a high basketball IQ and uses it to play an efficient game. He is currently working to improve his athleticism.
Caleb Bates is a well-rounded young man. He is experienced and accomplished in the game of basketball. As a sophomore, he was part of a District Championship team. Off the court, Bates enjoys taking photos and lifting weights.
Bates has a lot to offer a school and basketball program at the next level. He will bring rebounding, toughness, and strength. Bates will provide a college team with a multi level scorer. His combination of height and strength will provide a mismatch, even at the next level. Bates can post smaller players, while taking bigger players off the dribble. He has the ability to pull up and shoot over top of smaller defenders. Defensively, Bates will provide a college coach with a player who can defend almost every position.
While Bates is still waiting on his first offer, he has talked with coaches from several schools and has received interest from schools at many levels. The schools showing interest include Cornell, Dartmouth, Tennessee State, Morehead State, Jacksonville State, Niagara, Marist, Wayne State, Saginaw Valley State, Aquinas, and Iowa Western.
Caleb Bates is driven by his goals. On the court, he wants to take the game of basketball as far as possible, eventually to a professional career either in the NBA or overseas. Off the court, Bates is eyeing a career in Informational Technology combined with the game of basketball. Specifically, he’s interested in being a web developer or server support with the NBA. Bates also looks forward to sharing his knowledge of the game with the next generation of players.
Bates is a prospect that college coaches at all levels need to keep their eyes on. His recruitment should gain steam as the season begins.
“My greatest motivation is my family and my love for the game. I have come such a long way that it blows my mind sometimes how the more work I put in, the better I get. I feel like I haven’t even scratched the surface of my full potential. Even after I had my season high of 42 and 16, I still didn’t feel like I dominated the game from start to finish. Which makes me believe I have so much room for growth. The possibility that I could play even better than that keeps me wanting more. I was once the chubby kid, couldn’t keep up with the other guys, and now I have passed a lot of the same guys. And I have the attention of the guys who ‘may’ be in front of me. They are looking over their shoulders now, marking their calendars for the day they have to play me. They know I’m a problem, they have seen me go off. And it feels good and drives me to want more, to work harder, to never give up.” – Caleb Bates