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ESPN predicts Tennessee's Nate Ament to be 'the top freshman in the country'

IMG_3593by: Grant Ramey07/28/25GrantRamey
Tennessee's Nate Ament
(@ament_nate)

ESPN not only believes that Nate Ament is one of 10 freshmen to watch in college basketball next season —as much is obvious for Tennessee’s five-star wing who is already in the conversation for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft — but Myron Medcalf believes Ament will be the top freshman in college basketball. 

“When Rick Barnes tells you that a young player will be a star,” Medcalf wrote, “you should believe him. From Kevin Durant to Dalton Knecht, Barnes has molded some of the top players in the country over the past 30 years. 

“He recently told ESPN that Ament, a possible top-five pick in next year’s NBA draft, could be a special player this season. The 6-9 forward could be the next star under Barnes.”

‘There’s an argument to be made that Ament has the highest ceiling’

ESPN on Monday, 100 days out from the 2025-26 college basketball season, previewed the top stories, players and games. 

Ament committed to and signed with Tennessee in April, picking the Vols over Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisville, among others. He’s one of the highest-ranked prep prospect to ever sign with Tennessee, finishing his prep career as the No. 2 overall player in the 2025 class in the Rivals ratings. 

Tobias Harris in 2010 and Allan Houston in 1989 are the only other Tennessee players who were consensus top-five players as recruits. 

Earlier this month ESPN listed Kansas freshman guard Darryn Peterson, BYU freshman wing A.J. Dybantsa and Duke freshman forward Cameron Boozer, along with Ament, as the possibilities for the No. 1 pick next summer, with Peterson and Dybantsa having the early lead. 

“In what should be a loaded 2026 NBA draft class,” ESPN wrote on Monday, “there’s an argument to be made that Ament has the highest ceiling of the group. He’s 6-11 with high-level shotmaking ability.”

Tennessee’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie one of 10 transfers to watch

ESPN also listed Tennessee’s game against Houston in the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas on November 25 — the Vols open against Rutgers on November 24 at the MGM Grand — as one of the 10 best non-conference games next season. 

The Cougars ended the Vols’ season in the Elite Eight in March at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. 

“You’ll likely see a fleet of NBA scouts and executives in the stands at this matchup,” ESPN wrote, “with Tennessee’s Nate Ament, a projected top-five pick in next summer’s draft, and Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr. and Joseph Tugler, a pair of projected first-round picks, all on the court in this showcase.”

New Tennessee point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, the Greeneville native and Maryland transfer, was also listed as one of the top transfers to watch next season.

“Gillespie enjoyed his national breakout last season after transferring from Belmont to Maryland, where he was an All-Big Ten performer,” ESPN wrote. “In Knoxville, he will be replacing Zakai Zeigler as Rick Barnes‘ point guard.”

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