Tennessee freshman Nate Ament is starting to make SEC Freshman of the Week look like a standing appointment.
For the third time in four weeks, Ament has earned the honor - this time as Co-Freshman of the Week alongside Alabama’s Amari Allen - after a standout showing at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas. And if you're keeping track, that puts Ament in some pretty elite company in Knoxville. He’s now just the third Vol to win the award three times in a single season, joining Tobias Harris (2010-11) and Ramar Smith (2006-07).
Ament’s numbers in Vegas weren’t just good - they were the kind of stats that jump off the box score and make you take notice. Over three games, he averaged 16.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals.
He dropped 20 points in two of those contests, helping Tennessee notch two wins and finish fourth in a loaded 18-team field. That’s the kind of production that doesn’t just earn you weekly honors - it builds a foundation for a season-long impact.
Under Rick Barnes, Tennessee has developed a reputation for grooming young talent, and Ament is the latest example. His third weekly SEC freshman honor marks the 25th in program history and the 13th since Barnes took over in Knoxville. That’s not a coincidence - it’s a reflection of a system that knows how to identify and develop high-level players.
Now, the focus shifts to what’s next.
Tennessee heads to Syracuse on Tuesday night for a marquee matchup in the ACC/SEC Challenge. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
ET on ESPN2. Barnes knows the Orange aren’t a team to take lightly.
“They took Houston to overtime,” Barnes said. “They’re a good basketball team.”
And he’s not wrong. Syracuse has shown flashes early in the season, and like Tennessee, they’re still tightening things up as non-conference play rolls on. Barnes expects a chess match.
“They’re getting back just like we have,” he said. “I’m sure they cleaned up some things, like we had to clean up some things.
Maybe added a couple things here or there. But I think they are probably going to have a pretty good beat on us and we feel like we’ll probably have a pretty good beat on them.”
After Syracuse, the Vols head to Nashville for a Saturday night showdown with No. 14 Illinois at Bridgestone Arena - another big-stage test before SEC play begins.
That one tips at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Then comes a three-game home stretch starting December 16 against Louisville. Tennessee will also host Gardner-Webb on December 21 and South Carolina State on December 30 before opening SEC play at Arkansas on January 3.
For now, though, all eyes are on Nate Ament - a freshman making waves early, and showing every sign he’s just getting started.