In the middle of a tough 80-78 loss to Kentucky, Tennessee found a silver lining - and his name is Nate Ament. The freshman forward is starting to come into his own, and while the Vols couldn’t close it out in Lexington, Ament’s performance was another step forward in what’s shaping up to be a breakout stretch.
Ament poured in 17 points against the Wildcats, with 14 of those coming in the second half. It wasn’t just the scoring, though - it was when and how he did it.
As Kentucky threatened to pull away, Ament kept Tennessee in striking distance, attacking the rim, drawing fouls, and showing flashes of the high-ceiling talent that made him a five-star recruit. Unfortunately, a couple of late turnovers and some shaky team defense proved costly, but Ament’s emergence is becoming one of the more encouraging developments of Tennessee’s early SEC slate.
After averaging just 10.5 points over his first two conference games, Ament has flipped the switch. Over the last three, he’s averaging 19 points per game and looking more comfortable with each outing. Head coach Rick Barnes sees it too.
“Nate’s just getting so much better,” Barnes said after the Kentucky game. “He had 17 today, made his free throws.
But he needs more than seven shots. And some of it, he’s going to have to go get it and make that happen.”
That’s the next step for Ament - finding ways to stay aggressive without forcing the issue. Against Kentucky, he took just seven shots from the field but got to the line nine times, which speaks to his ability to create contact and finish through it. Still, Barnes wants more assertiveness, especially when comparing his shot total to Jaylen Carey’s 13 attempts.
The challenge for Ament has been striking the right balance between letting the game come to him and taking control when needed. He’s had several strong halves this season, but sustaining that level of play for a full 40 minutes has been a work in progress. Some of that comes down to decision-making, particularly when it comes to ball security.
Over the last three games, Ament has turned the ball over seven times, and he’s up to 13 giveaways in SEC play. At 6-foot-10, he’s got a high dribble, which makes him vulnerable to help defenders swiping at the ball when he puts it on the floor. That’s something he’ll need to tighten up as he continues to expand his offensive role.
One area where Barnes has been vocal is shot selection - specifically, not settling for jumpers. Ament has the tools to be a matchup nightmare, but when he drifts to the perimeter and the shots aren’t falling, it takes away from what he does best. Barnes wants him attacking, not settling.
One adjustment Tennessee has made to help unlock Ament’s game is playing him more at the four. That move creates better floor spacing and opens up driving lanes, giving Ament more room to operate around the basket. It’s a wrinkle the Vols didn’t use much in non-conference play, but it’s becoming a more frequent look as they try to get the most out of their talented freshman.
The road ahead won’t be easy - Tennessee’s had a rocky start to SEC play, and the margin for error is shrinking. But if Ament continues on this trajectory, he could be a game-changer. He’s stacking strong performances against quality competition, and for a team still searching for consistency, that’s a development worth watching closely.
March is still a ways off, but if Tennessee wants to make noise when it matters most, they’ll need Ament to keep trending upward. The talent is there. Now it’s about putting it all together - and doing it night in, night out.