The Tennessee Volunteers basketball program has been a consistent force in the NCAA under head coach Rick Barnes for several years. While some believe Barnes may be nearing retirement, that thought hasn't entered his mind. For the third year in a row, Barnes took full advantage of the transfer portal, landing significant upgrades for his team.
Perhaps the most impactful addition this offseason wasn't from the portal, but rather from the high school ranks. Freshman commit Nate Ament, one of the biggest names in the 2026 recruiting class, chose Tennessee late in the process after Barnes and his staff made a strong final push. Ament already has big dreams for his time in Knoxville.
“I feel like we'll be a national championship team," Ament said. "We're going to go on that kind of run. The coaches told me they plan to use me as an offensive weapon and then develop my defensive side. They don't assign me a position. They joke about it, but they see me as just a player. I can do everything on both ends of the floor."
Ament is widely considered a potential No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, despite being a late bloomer. His combination of size, skill, and versatility has scouts and analysts buzzing.
“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.
Barnes has bought into the Ament hype, stating clearly that the freshman was, in his eyes, the best player in his recruiting cycle.
Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“He's the kind of versatile talent who can impact the game in a variety of ways and, in our eyes, he was the No. 1 player in the class,” Barnes said.
The Vols are shaping up to have another strong team this season. While much of the roster was rebuilt through the transfer portal, the coaching staff also assembled a high-quality recruiting class. With Ament poised to be a force alongside one of the nation's top point guards, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Barnes looks to have all the pieces in place for another deep postseason run.