There aren’t many players in recent history who have had more successful college careers than Grant Williams. The former Tennessee basketball superstar helped put the Vols on the map, earning two SEC Player of the Year nods and a consensus First-Team All-American honor.
Now that Williams has carved out his role in the NBA, he’s had the chance to keep up with Rick Barnes’ Tennessee program to see his alma mater reach new heights. Since his departure, the program has made a pair of Elite Eights and won SEC regular season and tournament titles.
This year, the headlines in Knoxville have gone to five-star freshman Nate Ament. The projected lottery pick has emerged as conference play rages on as one of the best players in the SEC. Williams, who knows what it takes in the conference and NBA, gave his thoughts on the SEC Network.
“He’s so fun to watch,” Williams said. “He’s incredible because of his size, length. He’s filling out of his frame as he continues grows and gets older, but also as he continues to push himself in the weight room. They do a phenomenal job there at Tennessee. And I think he’s becoming more comfortable. You look at him when he first got there at Tennessee versus now, he’s probably put on 20 pounds, he’s way more comfortable with his game, he has midrange touch, he has the ability to post-up at 6-10, he has the ability to shoot threes off the dribble, he has a lot of things that will translate to the next level. As you’d expect, he’s a deserved lottery pick for a reason.”
“He’s a deserved lottery pick for a reason.”
Grant Williams gives props to @Vol_Hoops Nate Ament 👏 pic.twitter.com/FK0Yfu3fXO
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 5, 2026
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Ament is currently averaging 17.1 points per game on 41.1% shooting from the field and 31.1% from behind the arc. He is also producing averages of 6.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
However, it’s been his recent play that has taken him to another level. Here’s a look at his most recent four games:
- vs. Ole Miss (84-66 W) – 28 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists
- vs. Auburn (77-69 W) – 22 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block
- at Georgia (86-86 W [OT]) – 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
- at Alabama (79-73 W) – 29 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
This year, Ament has earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors four times and SEC Player of the Week once. He is widely believed to be a top-10 selection in this year’s NBA draft.
