From Karl-Anthony Towns to Cooper Flagg, the NBA Draft has seen nine college freshmen taken as the top overall draft pick since 2015.
Tennessee is hoping that its own star freshman player is next on that list.
Excitement is high around Tennessee true freshman Nate Ament, who was the No. 4 overall prospect in the class of 2025 recruiting cycle. With the number of talented players that Tennessee lost through graduation this offseason, the Volunteers needed a new star to take the spotlight on Rocky Top.
Enter Nate Ament.
The hype is real for the 6-foot-10 wing from Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia. According to fellow true freshman Amari Evans, Ament’s skill set resembles that of a six-foot guard despite the fact that he’s only a few inches shorter than seven feet tall. He’s a true offensive wizard, with the ability to score from the perimeter and use finesse to get to the hoop.
We’ve (the media) only had two chances to see Ament play in practice sessions this summer, but he’s lived up to the billing so far. Ament would routinely knock down three-pointers that you’d look down at his feet and say, “Hm. That’s NBA range right there.”
“He made multiple jaw-dropping plays,” RTI’s Ryan Schumpert wrote in his June practice observations notebook. “There was the baseline drive where he threw down a two-handed dunk over a guard who was late on help defense. On another play Ament had his back to the basket from 12 feet. He turned left shoulder, pump faked and then did step through and finished the left-handed layup before the help could get there. One area Ament really impressed me was with his facilitating. He got his teammates open shots or dunks multiple times on drives. He just plays so smooth and is not in a hurry. Very impressive trait for someone in his first weeks playing college basketball.”
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It’s not just the local media that’s already taking note of Ament’s skillset, though. It’s also the national media.
In Myron Medcalf and Jeff Borzello’s 100 Days Out college basketball preview, the duo listed Ament as one of the few players who could be competing for the NBA’s top overall draft pick next fall. Borzello also lists BYU’s A.J. Dybantsa, Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, and Louisville’s Mikel Brown Jr. in that conversation.
Ament is also listed as one of the Top 10 impact freshmen heading into the 2025-2026 campaign, saying that “there’s an argument to be made that Ament has the highest ceiling of the (top overall pick) group.”
“When Rick Barnes tells you that a young player will be a star, you should believe him,” Medcalf writes. “From Kevin Durant to Dalton Knecht, Barnes has molded some of the top players in the country over the past 30 years. He recently told ESPN that Ament, a possible top-five pick in next year’s NBA draft, could be a special player this season. The 6-9 forward could be the next star under Barnes.”
Ament is undoubtedly going to be a fan favorite on Rocky Top, but he’s also going to be one of the top impact performers if Tennessee wants to reach a third straight Elite Eight run… and more. He’ll have to learn quickly, but we’ve seen elite freshmen take that step in the past, and there are few reasons to believe that Ament can’t be one of the next to do so.
Here’s a look at some of the talent that Nate Ament is bringing with him to the Food City Center this season:
