PHILADELPHIA — Tennessee basketball coasted past Miami (Ohio) 78-56 on Friday afternoon to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Vols did it without much production from star freshman Nate Ament.
Ament played 18 minutes, failing to score and grabbing just three rebounds while also turning it over three times.
“It wasn’t a good game for me by any means,” Ament said postgame.
It wasn’t a good or a long game for Ament. The five-star freshman checked out with 11:45 remaining in the game and never returned as the Vols cruised to the victory. Ament told RTI postgame that he did not re-injure his right leg in the game.
“It was just a little sore,” Ament said. “A couple movements that were just a little sore. Came out the game and went back in the tunnel to try and get moving again to come back in after the under eight timeout. And we were up by like 20 something so we decided to not put me back in.”
Ament said he “for sure” would have been able to come back into the game down the stretch if the scorer was tighter. Tennessee led by 19 points at the under eight media timeout and had no need to push it. But it’s further indication that Ament is very banged up and playing through both a right knee and right ankle injury.
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Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said that they were just being cautious during his postgame press conference. But he also noted that Ament is in more pain than he’s letting on.
“I’ve said it, Nate would play every minute of every game if he could,” Barnes said. “He’s not going to be 100% healthy until the season is over because he had that ankle sprain where he had it. He tries. I was watching him in practice just doing some basic stuff and he never says a word but I could see on his face he was wincing a little bit. When we had the lead, right now he needs as much rest as he can, but he’ll do everything he can to be ready. He will be ready to do what he can do.”
Ament first suffered his right ankle injury on Feb. 24 against Missouri, but returned and played the remainder of the game. Then four days later against Alabama, a Crimson Tide player fell on Ament’s right leg when he was on the ground trying to corral a loose ball.
The Second Team All-SEC selection missed two games to close the regular season before returning in the SEC Tournament. Ament played stellar against Auburn before struggling in the quarterfinals loss against Vanderbilt. But Ament has badly wanted to return and play down the stretch in what will likely be his lone collegiate season.
“I mean, I want to win for this team, for this fan base,” Ament told RTI Thursday. “Tennessee has given me so much, and I want to be able to give them something back, especially my group of teammates. I want to be able to say that I gave it my all for them on every possession.”
Tennessee basketball will face off against three-seed Virginia in the Round of 32 on Sunday in Philadelphia. The exact tip off time is not yet set.
