Tennessee wing Nate Ament declared for the NBA Draft with a post on his Instagram Thursday night.
Ament did not make it clear whether or not he was retaining his college eligibility with the possibility of returning to school before the May 23 deadline. However, Ament’s caption implied that he does not intend to return for his sophomore season.
“I’m declaring for the NBA Draft,” Ament posted. “I want to dedicate this post to my Vol family. Your guys love and support is a huge reason I have this opportunity. It’s because of you guys that I was able to grow. Y’all stuck with me through the bad games and the good. I promise to always represent the Vols with the upmost pride. This University means more to me than just basketball — to me it’s a place I call home. I might’ve only been here a year but I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life.
“This wouldn’t be possible without my family, teamates, coaching staff, and our managers. These guys challenged me to be a better player and man. They’ve put me in a position to live out a dream. This is just the beginning.
Ament is coming off a standout freshman season at Tennessee where he averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The 6-foot-10 forward shot 39.9% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 79% from the foul line.
The freshman got better over the course of the season and played better in SEC play than he did in non conference play. In 16 SEC games, Ament averaged 19 points and six rebounds per game. He scored 20-plus points in 11 games while scoring a career-high 29 points in wins over Alabama and Ole Miss as well as in a loss against Oklahoma.
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Ament currently projects as a late lottery pick according to most draft boards but he is a divisive prospect with some draft experts projecting him to fall out of the lottery all together.
The Warrenton, Virginia native ranked as a five-star recruit and the No. 4 player in the 2025 recruiting cycle when he chose Tennessee over a top group that included Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky and Louisville. Ament was the highest ranked prospect the Vols had ever signed according to the 247sports rankings.
Tennessee basketball’s offseason is full of turnover. The Vols lost six players to the transfer portal this offseason including Cade Phillips, Clarence Massamba, J.P. Estrella, Jaylen Carey, Bishop Boswell and Amari Evans.
Tennessee has added six players to its roster since the season ended including Belmont sharpshooter Tyler Lundblade, VCU combo guard Terrence Hill Jr, Cal combo guard Dai Dai Ames, Notre Dame wing Jalen Haralson, Loyola (Chicago) center Miles Rubin and four-star prep wing Chris Washington Jr.
The Vols also signed prep prospects Marquis Clark, Manny Green and Ralph Scott back during the fall signing period.
