Chris Beard praises Tennessee’s Nate Ament after latest 20-point explosion
By David Wasson
Published:
Tennessee freshman forward Nate Ament is starting to blossom during his maiden voyage through the SEC basketball slate, posting his fourth straight stellar game against conference foes Tuesday night against Ole Miss.
Ament went off for 28 points and 6 rebounds against the Rebels in an 84-66 Tennessee victory. That performance was the latest in a string of gems from Ament, who posted a 22-point, 8-rebound effort against Auburn on Jan. 31, a 19-point, 6-rebound night at Georgia on Jan. 28, and a 29-point, 7-rebound outburst against then-No. 17 Alabama on Jan. 24.
“He is a dynamic player who basically has an unblockable shot,” said Ole Miss coach Chris Beard, who was ejected in the second half against the Vols, the same frame that saw Ament score 26 of his 28 points.
“The young guy plays with a lot of demeanor and poise. He’s an all-conference player in our league, and I’m not talking about the all-freshman team. He is one of the best players in our league.”
Beard compared Ament’s skills to those of Kevin Durant and LaMarcus Aldridge – both NBA veterans who fell under the tutelage of Tennessee coach Rick Barnes.
“Coach Barnes taught many guys that shot over the years, so that’s a problem,” Beard said.
Ament is averaging 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game this season for the 25th-ranked Volunteers, who are 16-6 overall and 6-3 in the SEC heading into Saturday’s game at Kentucky (8:30 pm ET, ESPN).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
