Nate Ament's journey through the postseason has been a rollercoaster, but it's one that's keeping Tennessee fans on the edge of their seats. Nursing a knee sprain since that tough regular-season loss to Alabama, Ament hasn't quite been his dynamic self. Yet, his resilience played a key role in helping Rick Barnes secure a fourth-straight Sweet 16 appearance with a hard-fought 79-72 victory over Virginia in Philadelphia.
In the first round against Miami (OH), Ament struggled, going 0-3 in just 18 minutes. Sunday's game started similarly, as he went 1-4 in the first half.
But the second half was a different story. Ament found his rhythm, finishing with 16 points and giving Tennessee the boost they needed.
In the postgame press conference, he shed light on his performance, offering a glimpse of optimism for the upcoming clash with Iowa State.
“I think the game just kind of slowed down for me a little bit,” Ament shared. “Also, I was kind of fighting fatigue in the 1st. Sitting out a couple of games, it's hard to bounce back, but I kind of found my footing in the second."
Ament's slow starts aren't entirely unexpected. Throughout the season, the 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman has shown that his game thrives on rhythm and feel. It took him some time to adjust in the SEC, but once he did, he became one of the standout freshmen in the country.
During the Player’s Era Festival and early conference play, despite a hefty 28 percent usage rate, Ament averaged 13.1 points per game with a 44.3 percent effective field goal percentage. He also had 3.9 turnovers per 40 minutes, according to CBBanalytics.com.
But from January 13 to February 18, he hit his stride. Playing more minutes with a similar usage rate, his scoring surged to 23.4 points per game, and his effective field goal percentage climbed to 50.3 percent.
Turnovers dropped to 2.3 per 40 minutes. He transformed into a different beast on the court.
Injuries, however, slowed him down late in the season. His struggles were evident in the SEC Tournament, where he went 1-13 from the field in a quarterfinal loss to Vanderbilt. The knee sprain has undeniably impacted his March performances, but given his season's trajectory, it's understandable why he needs time to regain his form.
Tennessee leaned on Ament's second-half surge to topple Virginia. Looking ahead to their matchup with Iowa State, much depends on whether Iowa State’s leading scorer, Joshua Jefferson, can play after his ankle injury.
Regardless, the Vols will need Ament to elevate his game. Now that he's regaining his rhythm and has more time to heal, there's every reason to believe he can rise to the occasion.