Tennessee Basketball Star Nate Ament Falls in Newest NBA Mock Draft

Tennessee Volunteers basketball forward Nate Ament falls in the newest NBA Mock Draft.

Tennessee forward Nate Ament (10) walks off the court as Michigan players celebrate their Final Four berth behind him after a NCAA Tournament Elite 8 game between Tennessee and Michigan at the United Center in Chicago on March 29, 2026. | Brianna Paciorka/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tennessee recently wrapped up their college basketball season after being defeated in their third straight Elite Eight appearance. The Vols remain without an appearance in the Final Four, but the fact that they made it to the Elite Eight yet again seems to be an overachievement.

A big thanks for this is to be given to true freshman forward Nate Ament. Ament is a former five-star prospect who joined the roster as one of the highest-rated prospects to play in the Tennessee orange and white. While the season was a bit up and down, the prospect was still visibly talented enough to be selected within the first ten picks of the draft. In a recent mock draft done by Bleacher Report, Ament fell outside of those selections but remained a lottery selection. Here is where they believe the Tennessee Volunteers forward will be heading ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Nate Ament - Selected No. 14 (Miami Heat)

Mar 29, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) moves the ball while defended by Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) in the first half during an Elite Eight game of the Midwest Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

"Nate Ament had a mixed postseason, highlighted by shotmaking flashes, creativity, issues converting drives and struggles against physical defense. There will always be demand and patience when it comes to 6'10" wings with shoot-dribble-pass skill sets, and Ament has at least 19 made field goals in ball-screen, isolation, spot-up and movement off-screen situations. He's getting to the line at a strong rate, yet he isn't a black hole, averaging 2.3 assists. The case against Ament questions if the shooting will be good enough to offset projected issues around a lack of explosion and strength for turning the corner and finishing. The case for him shows a mismatch and three-level scorer who can get his shot off cleanly at will due to positional height and release point," Bleacher Report writer Jonathan Wasserman said.

The talented prospect was also compared to former No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher.

This is a drop compared to the past mock drafts, as he was being projected to be selected within the first 10 selections. He was dealing with an injury at the end of the season, but his choice to tough it out did make him look a bit off at times. He is one of the better players when it comes to playing the forward positions and has a very high ceiling in the NBA. Whether it is with the Heat or a team in the top-10, Ament will be a day one factor no matter where he is selected.