Nate Ament credits Rick Barnes’ coaching, development for standout freshman season
By David Wasson
Published:
SEC All-Freshman Team and second-team All-SEC selection Nate Ament has been a force for the Tennessee Volunteers all season, including Thursday as the Vols upended Auburn 72-62 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals.
Ament led Tennessee with 27 points against the Tigers to earn a spot in the tournament semifinals Friday against Vanderbilt (3:30 pm ET, ESPN), and was quick to point out in his success in 2025-26.
“It has not been easy for sure, but he told me when I committed – and that’s another reason I committed – that he has been through it so many times,” Ament said. “If you really want to get to where you want to get, you have to go through the fire. And he puts me through the fire every day.
“My game has completely changed since I got here… and there is no Nate Ament without Coach Barnes.”
The 6-foot-10 Ament is second in scoring on Tennessee’s roster, just a fraction of a point behind teammate Ja’Kobi Gillespie, but his 27 points against Auburn was the most in a single game for him this season since a 29-point outburst against Oklahoma on Feb. 18. Ament missed Tennessee’s final two games with a leg injury, but rejoined the team in the starting lineup against Auburn.
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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. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
