Tennessee's Nate Ament focused on growth, not comparisons to loaded freshman class

Nate Ament answered honestly, but wasn’t about to step on anyone’s toes. After No. 20 Tennessee’s 95-56 win over Northern Kentucky on Saturday, the five-star freshman was asked about the loaded class of freshmen in college basketball this season. 

Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU small forward AJ Dybantsa and Duke power forward Cameron Boozer, along with Ament, are ranked as the top four players in the 2026 NBA Draft, respectively, in ESPN’s ranking of the top-100 prospects. 

“I try to watch them as much as I can,” Ament said, “because they’re all part of great teams, all teams in the top 25. I’m friends with all those guys, I try to root them on.”

But when Ament was done answering a few seconds later, Tennessee point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie butted in. 

“He’s the best one, though,” Gillespie said with a smile, drawing a laugh from his teammate.

Up Next: No. 20 Tennessee vs. North Florida, Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, SEC Network+

The loaded freshman class goes beyond Ament, Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer, though.

The top eight prospects ranked by ESPN are all freshmen this season, with Ament followed North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson, Louisville point guard Mikel Brown Jr., Houston forward Chris Cenac and Arizona forward Koa Peat. 

“It’s just competitive,” Ament said. “I want to be better than all those guys and I’m sure they all want to be better than me. So having this good of a freshman class definitely drives me to be better each and everyday.”

Ament was the No. 4 overall prospect in the Rivals Industry Ranking for the 2025 class, with Dybantsa finishing at No. 1 overall, ahead of Peterson and then Boozer. 

“Ament is the type of fluid, sweet-shooting perimeter player whom NBA teams always covet,” ESPN’s Jeremy Woo wrote in his prospect rankings, “and the type of mold that earns the benefit of the doubt from scouts. It might take a huge season for him to crack the top three, but his uncommon size and skill set will make teams take a hard look.

“The fact that a player with Ament’s upside could be available outside the top three come June,” Woo added, “reinforces the early excitement around this class.”

Ament on Monday was named the SEC Freshman of the Week after averaging 20.5 points and 8.5 rebounds over his first two games, in wins over Mercer and Northern Kentucky. 

‘I think I do a good job of just allowing myself to grow everyday’

ESPN described Ament as “less of a fully formed player” than the top three prospects in Peterson, Dybantsa and Boozer and also noted he could be in store for “some ups and downs adjusting to college basketball.”

“Adding strength, learning to play through contact and developing his game off the dribble are all paramount for Ament,” Woo wrote. “That process requires patience, and it could be another year or two before he’s ready to drive winning in the pros.” 

On Saturday, while referencing the loaded class of NBA prospects around him, Ament said he doesn’t let his mind drift that far down the road.

“I think I do a good job of just allowing myself to grow everyday,” He said, “and not really focus too much on the future.”