Tennessee basketball added to its roster on Sunday night, landing five-star wing Nate Ament over a top group that included Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky and Louisville.
Ament ranks as a five-star recruit and the No. 4 player in the country according to the 247sports composite rankings. The 6-foot-9 wing is not only the highest rated recruit in Tennessee basketball’s signing class but the highest rated recruit in the modern era.
What is Tennessee getting in Ament and how will they use him? Taking a look here.
More From RTI: Five-Star Wing Nate Ament Commits To Tennessee Basketball
What Are Ament’s Strengths?
Ament’s biggest strength is that he has the height of a power forward but the skillset of a guard. He plays on the perimeter, shooting the ball extremely well from the perimeter. The five-star recruit totaled 12 points in the McDonald’s All-American Game, hitting both of his three-point attempts in the game.
He also handles the basketball well, frequently playing a pick-and-roll ball handler in the high school and AAU circuit. While Ament doesn’t play on the low post, he has really good footwork and can effectively score at a high level in the midrange. At his size and 6-foot-11 wingspan, Ament’s turnaround jumper is unguardable.
There are questions about Ament’s game, as we’ll get to, but in the most simple terms he’s a player with the talent to go in the top five of the 2026 NBA Draft.
How Will Tennessee Use Ament?
This is a really tough question because Tennessee has never had a player with Ament’s skillset during Rick Barnes’ tenure so it’s hard to project how exactly they’ll use him.
But the most important note is that he will be Tennessee’s starting three-man. Recruiting services peg Ament as a power forward. He’s capable of playing some small ball power forward but he will be Tennessee’s starting small forward.
As for what his exact role will look like in Tennessee’s offense, he’ll probably play off of pin downs and some on ball screens. It’ll be interesting to see how Rick Barnes adapts Tennessee’s offense for Ament.
It’s a completely unfair comparison to make, but Kevin Durant is the one player Barnes has coached with a similar skillset. Again, expecting Ament to be Durant is not fair. But Tennessee could use Ament similar to how Texas used Durant.
Questions About Ament’s Game?
There will always be questions about the transition from the high school level to the college level for someone who expects to make a major impact as a freshman. That’s especially true for someone like Ament who did not play at a prep school.
But as far as his actual game, it’s all about physicality. Ament is 6-foot-9 bit only 185 pounds. He is as skinny as can be and that’s undoubtedly a concern for how we will hold up defensively, on the glass and scoring in the paint at the college level.
Besides that, my only question would be what caliber of athlete is he? Ament’s obviously a good one but I’m not sure he’s a great one. Time will tell.
What Does Ament’s Commitment Mean For Tennessee Basketball?
Tennessee’s roster was pretty barren at the two and three spot entering next season before Ament’s commitment. The five-star gives Tennessee a plug-and-play starter at the three-spot.
It was especially important after Lincoln Memorial transfer Elyjah Freeman committed to Auburn over the Vols and Indiana on Saturday, though I believe the two were somewhat related. Tennessee would have taken both players but Ament would have been the starter and Freeman a seventh or eighth man at the bench. Auburn was able to sell a potential starting role to him.
Tennessee now has 10 scholarship players on roster for next season, giving them three to work with unless the House Settlement passes and extends the scholarship limit to 15. The Vols attention now turns to adding shooting guard. Tennessee needs a starting caliber player and another off the bench. Rodney Rice remains the top target.
