High praise.
The Nate Ament hype train is starting to leave the station. The five-star wing is a can’t-miss NBA prospect and has even generated some buzz to potentially go No. 1 overall next year, thanks to his late and continued growth.
Tennessee hung around in his recruiting process, eventually going all in to land the 6-foot-10 prospect. The Volunteers beat out the likes of Duke, Arkansas and Kentucky. For Rick Barnes, it’s just the latest elite prospect that he’s been able to bring to Knoxville. However, in Ament’s case, you have to go back to Austin to perhaps see his vision for Ament.
“That kid’s going to be special,” Vanderbilt transfer forward Jaylen Carey said about Ament on Monday after practice. “He’s like a baby Kevin Durant.”
Barnes, of course, landed Durant during his time at Texas and helped him become the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. That’s been a popular comparison since Ament committed to Barnes this spring. At least in terms of size, Durant and Ament certainly favor each other. Durant’s skillset at 6-foot-11 as a college player would be hard to match, but that’s definitely the mold and role Rick Barnes is going to try to recreate this season.
With Zakai Zeigler, Chaz Lanier, Jahmai Mashack, Jordan Gainey and Igor Milicic moving on from last year’s team, the offense very well could run through ament and Maryland transfer point guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie.
Carey, now one of Tennessee’s enforcers at the rim, knows Ament will be a focal point.
“I always tell him, I’m kind of like his bodyguard, I guess you could say,” Carey continued. “Whenever somebody’s punking him around, I told him to let me know whatever you need. Like on the floor, if somebody hits you, just let me know, I got you. I want to take care of him because I know that kid is going to be real special.”
Throwing around a name like Durant is dangerous, mainly because 6-11, 7-6 wingspans with that kind of athleticism don’t come around often. But Ament, who by most accounts is a late bloomer and still piecing together his game, has a very high long-term ceiling. How quickly he can put together those pieces at the SEC level remains to be seen. Ament will continue to get stronger and add polish, but those around the program have given glowing reviews of his work ethic to this point.
Barnes is going to use him all over the floor and put a ton on his plate right off the jump this season. Ament will have every opportunity to develop and become Tennessee’s highest ever draft pick in next summer’s event.