The Tennessee Volunteers have enjoyed impressive NBA Draft success over the past five seasons under head coach Rick Barnes. This year, both Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack were selected in the second round. Barnes has consistently produced elite-level talent, and that trend shows no signs of slowing. Freshman Nate Ament is already projected as a top-five pick in next year’s draft—and some believe he could even go No. 1 overall.
“Ament is a late addition to the No. 1 pick conversation and the furthest away of the four from reaching his potential -- in no small part because he weighs 186 pounds. But ultra-talented 6-11 wing players with his fluidity, shotmaking prowess, defensive versatility and scoring ability are often deemed franchise-type prospects. There were plenty of NBA executives who walked out of the McDonald's All American Game in April and said Ament has All-Star potential. After starting practice at Tennessee on June 17, Ament appears to be adding weight and will be in a featured role in the SEC, giving him every opportunity to make his case as a surprise No. 1 candidate,” ESPN’s Jonathan Givony wrote.
Ament has already sparked excitement among Tennessee fans, especially after expressing bold confidence in the team’s potential.
“I feel like we'll be a national championship team," Ament said. "We're going to go on that kind of run."
Ament enters the program as the most hyped prospect of the Rick Barnes era at Tennessee—fueled by the freshman finishing No. 2 in the 2025 rankings.
“What they said about Ament: “A late bloomer, Ament has grown significantly in the past year, filling out his frame at 6-11. He’s a tremendous shotmaker; he has improved his passing and defensive versatility; and his ability to get a shot off almost at will gives him perhaps the highest upside of any prospect in this class,” Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Schumpert wrote.
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A year from now, Ament could fulfill all the hype and hear his name called first on draft night. Many already believe he has the highest upside of any prospect in the 2025 class. As with any young talent, only time will tell—but Ament brings a level of excitement that Vols fans haven’t seen in years.