Recruiting Report: Joey Bates (2018)
Preble Shawnee forward Joey Bates (2018) had a slow start to summer basketball due to an injury, but the 6’3 senior looks to rebound in July while playing AAU for the Dayton Nets. “Wins and losses are not a big deal during summer ball…Winter will be all about the wins”, Joey told me in regards to expectations during the summer. If the Arrows have a season like they did last year, Bates and his teammates can expect a lot of success.
What makes Bates an incredible player is his ability to perform offensively. He gets the ball to teammates while also finding different ways to score, a great quality in a post player. Joey finished with an average of 13.6 points per game last year and also grabbed 7 rebounds a game as well. Bates also led the team with a 53% FG percentage. These stats back up that Joey is one of the top offensive threats in the SWBL for next season. Joey would like to improve still on his ball handling as well as his decision making before next season. As for goals for Preble Shawnee, Bates would like to see the Arrows finish undefeated in league play as well as win a district championship. “Both (goals) are very doable”, Bates tells me. With several of their top performers returning from last season, the Arrows have a legitimate chance to make these goals a reality.
Due to his back injury, Joey’s recruiting slowed down a bit, but has received interest from multiple D3 and NAIA schools. Several of the schools have expressed interest in seeing Bates once he is healthy and playing this month. He has already visited Concordia and played in several open gyms and also is visiting Bluffton soon. I expect a few more visits to be scheduled soon with more interest expected as well. Bates is such a strong player and if he can get his ball handling improved, will be an even more dangerous player come November.