NBA Draft

Tennessee's Nate Ament Dominates Rutgers in Volunteers' Win

The Volunteers remain one of the top teams in the country after a 25-point beatdown in the Players Era Festival opener.
Jed Katz|
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
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

Outside of the three generational draft prospects in the 2026 NBA Draft — AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson and Cam Boozer — the rest of the order is wide open, but loaded with freshmen talent. As Feast Week carries on in college basketball, the Players Era Festival features some of the top prospects in the country.

The Tennessee Volunteers kicked things off with a dominant 85-50 win over Rutgers on Monday. While the game wasn't particularly close most of the time, it was still a must-watch matchup due to the performance of Nate Ament.

The 6-foot-10 freshman dazzled with 20 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in just 28 minutes, shooting 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from three. Amen certainly improved his draft stock with an impressive offensive game, proving he can be a go-to scorer in the pros.

Many analysts are torn when it comes to Ament. Some believe he needs more work on scoring off the dribble and from deep, while others believe his frame and athleticism raise the floor with an impressive skill set. On Monday, the Virginia native blew critics out of the water.

Ament was knocking down three off the dribble, taking step-backs and moving off the ball for catch-and-shoot triples. Inside the arc, he was scoring as well, working defenders in the post but also pushing the ball in transition for some tough layups.

Ament showed flashes of a skinnier Paolo Banchero with his body control and smooth stroke. On the other end, his height and 7-foot-3 wingspan make him a capable defender in and out of the paint.

Ament is currently in competition with Caleb Wilson, Mike Brown Jr. and others for the projected No. 4 pick in the draft. He is one of many freshmen putting up big numbers in college basketball this season, averaging 19 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals on 48-33-78 shooting splits.

Some concerns about Ament's game are his consistency from beyond the arc and turnovers. Although he shot 4-for-6 against Rutgers, he only hit 6-of-24 threes before that game against poor competition. He's also been averaging 2.7 turnovers per game, which ranks in the bottom six in the SEC.

There are plenty of things to clean up as the season goes along, but Ament is a part of a defensively intense Tennessee squad, which will help develop his game. The Volunteers rank 13th in KenPom with a 92.4 defensive rating (fourth in the country).

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Jed Katz
JED KATZ

Jed is a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison majoring in journalism. He also contributes at several other basketball outlets, including has his own basketball blog and podcast — The Sixth Man Report.

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