Nate Ament Declares for NBA Draft After Debating Return to Tennessee for Sophomore Season

The Volunteer freshman is leaving Rocky Top after one season for the NBA

Tennessee coach Rick Barnes speaks with Tennessee forward Nate Ament (10) during a NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game between Tennessee and Iowa State at the United Center in Chicago on March 27, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee freshman Nate Ament will only be playing one year of college basketball after he announced his intentions to declare for the NBA Draft on Thursday afternoon.

Ament, the 6-foot-10 forward, is a potential Top 10 pick but there were some thoughts that he could opt to stay in college for another season. However, the opportunity of playing in the NBA was too good to pass up.

He made the announcement on his Instagram.

“I want to dedicate this post to my Vol family,” he said. “Your guys love and support is a huge reason I have this opportunity. It’s because of you guys that I was able to grow. Ya’ll stuck with me through the bad games and the good. I promise to always represent the Vols with the upmost pride.”

Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 39.9-percent from the field and 33.3-percent from 3-point range. There was a learning curve for the highly sought after recruit as a high-volume shooter which, at times, led to ugly shooting lines.

He was named to the Second Team All-SEC and a member of the SEC All-Freshman Team.

“This University means more to me than just basketball — to me it’s a place I call home. I might’ve only been here a year, but I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life,” he added.

“This wouldn’t be possible without my family, teammates, coaching staff, and our managers. These guys challenged me to be a better player and man. They’ve put me in a position to live out a dream.”

Ament went for 16 points in Tennessee’s win over Virginia in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament and followed that up with 18 points in a Sweet 16 victory over Iowa State.

If he can improve his shooting percentages from 3-point territory and become more consistent, he has a chance to play in the NBA for a very long time with his size and skillset being tailormade for how the game is played at the next level.