Rick Barnes: Nate Ament is 'everything we thought we would get, plus 10 times more'

Two seasons ago it was Dalton Knecht going from an NCAA Transfer Portal find to a breakout star — SEC Player of the Year, All-American, future first-round draft pick. He led Tennessee to just its second Elite Eight after averaging 21.7 points per game.

Then Chaz Lanier picked up where he left off. The Nashville native transferred home to Tennessee from North Florida, averaged 18.0 points per game and set the new program record for 3-point field goals in a season with 123 and led the Vols to a second straight Elite Eight trip. 

Now what? Now it’s Nate Ament.

Head coach Rick Barnes believes his five-star freshman phenom is ready to keep the line moving as the next Tennessee star, even if there are differences between Ament and the two starts that preceded him.

“I think all three of them are so different,” Barnes said this week. “DK and Chaz were so different in their game. Nate’s different. Nate is obviously, it’s his first year in college basketball. Those guys had years in college basketball, regardless of what level they were at, they had played in big games against some big people.” 

Nate Ament picked Tennessee over Duke, Kentucky, Louisville

Ament committed to Tennessee in April — picking the Vols over Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas and a long list of others — and signed as one of the highest-ranked signees in program history.

Ament immediately became the face of a new-look Tennessee Basketball team that will have the same old expectations — compete for an SEC championship, get to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and get the Vols to a Final Four for the first time in program history.

The Vols have to replace a program legend in point guard Zakai Zeigler, with Maryland transfer and Greeneville native Ja’Kobi Gillespie filling that vacancy. Jordan Gainey’s scoring in the backcourt will have to be replaced, too, along with defense of Jahmai Mashack.

Tennessee also added Louisiana Tech guard Amaree Abram and Vanderbilt forward Jaylen Carey out of the transfer portal, adding to a remade roster that has nine new names this season.

Nate Ament: No. 3 overall player in 2025, No. 2 small forward

The 6-foot-9, 190-pound Ament was ranked No. 3 overall in the 2025 class. He was the No. 2 small forward in the country and the No. 1 overall player in the state of Virginia.  Scotty Hopson was the No. 5 overall prospect in 2008, Tobias Harris was ranked No. 6 in 2010 and Allan Houston was a prep All-American in one era before prospects were ranked.  

If that’s not enough, Ament is already projected to be a top-five pick in next summer’s NBA Draft and has already been mentioned as a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick. That’s if he reaches his ceiling — and then some — during what is assumed to be a one-and-done college career.

“Nate, where he is, I mean, we’re more than pleased with what he’s done,” Barnes said, “and the way he has come in. And we got everything we thought we would get, plus 10 times more. And we’re excited about him.”