Everything Nate Ament Said Following Tennessee's Win Against Rutgers

Nate Ament is one of the better players on the Tennessee basketball team, and he is only a freshman. He has quickly become one of the better players in the nation, and has already put his own stamp on college basketball. He had a 20-point outing against Rutgers, which helped contribute to Tennessee's 25-point victory against the Scarlet Knights.

Following the win, Ament talked with the Tennessee media. Here is what he had to say.

Ament on Playing Aggressive in His Second Time on The Court

Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) is defended by. Rutgers Scarlet Knights forward Dylan Grant (9) during the first half in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

"I was trying to let the game come to me, coming into the game, kind of get lost in the defensive end is what Coach Barnes tells me to do a lot, but, yeah, I mean, my coaches and everyone was telling me to wake up and it's time to go. Let's get into attack mode. So, I was listening to them."

Ament on Ja'Kobi Gillespie's Message to Him After Not Shooting a Good Look

"He was telling me to shoot it and be confident. And when you got your teammate telling you to do that you got to listen."

Ament on His Shot Confidence

"Yeah, I mean it felt great. It felt good coming off my hands and being able to put those shots together, you know you have confidence going into your next shot. It's great.

Ament on Being Assertive

"It's been very tough, actually. Just learning the game, and learning how I can attack, when to attack, when not to, when to get the ball in my hands. Just trying to learn that early in the games, I need to try to find my teammates, trying to get them open shots, and try to run the offense. Late in the shot clock or late in the game when plays break down and you know you are doing a better job, that's when you know you can be more assertive."

Ament on Ja'Kobi Being Better On or Off The Ball

"I don't know. That's a good question. He's very good on and off, so, it's just whatever the team wants to give him, I mean, he's great at both."

Ament on Him On The Ball and Gillespie Off The Ball

"It's great. When I'm on the ball and he is off the ball, I get a good clean pass to him, I just think it's an assist, I think it's going down. So, being able to have such an automatic offensive player like that, it's great."

Ament on Gillespie's Major Day

"I see all the time, and in practice all the time that he is making tough shots, always making great plays on the ball. He has grown a lot on the defensive end as well, but even in our scrimmage against Ohio State so many shots came to him that he made. But, this is definitely not the first time that I've seen this for sure."

Ament on His Playmaking Development

"I think it is developing quite well actually. Coming to a higher level than high school, obviously, you are going to be playing with better players and playing against better players, so, it's kind of just learning where my teammates are going to be at on the court, where I can get it tio them, and where they are going to be most effective."

Ament on Bishop's Defense

"You can see sometimes that we are a whole different team when he's on the floor. His defense and his energy is so contagious. I know I feel more confident and enthusiastic when he is on the floor with me in a defensive way. So, having him there and being an anchor on defense builds our confidence through the roof."

Ament on Finding His Shot

"It feels good. it's something that I work on a lot. So for me I just kind of got to trust my work and not think too much. I'm going to get open a lot of the time just because I have great players around me. I just kind of trust what I do and trust in making the right play."

Ament on Playing Houston

"I can't wait. Obviously, they knocked us out last year in the Elite 8, so it is kind of the game you want back and we get that opportunity. i think this is just another opportunity for us to grow as a team and see what we need to get better at. Also, just great competition to be able to play the no. 2 team in the country, and you know, just have a lot of fun."

Ament on JP Estrella Returning From Injury

"We were all definitely nervous for him, but it's good for him. He worked so hard to get back, and he puts in so much work off the court. So, I was definitely nervous for him, but it feels great to have him on the court, and he is such a joy to be around and play with."

To watch the original video click HERE.