Rick Barnes on Nate Ament: ‘Wouldn’t trade Nate for anybody in the country’
By David Wasson
Published:
The rise of Tennessee freshman sensation Nate Ament has been remarkable, as the 6-foot-10 forward continues to dominate SEC opponents with increasing regularity.
Tuesday night was another example, as Ament scored 26 of his game-high 28 points in the second half to lead the 25th-ranked Volunteers to an 84-66 victory over visiting Ole Miss.
Ament’s efforts drew effusive praise from Ole Miss coach Chris Beard. Tennessee coach Rick Barnes also heaped postgame praise upon his young standout.
“I really don’t care what anyone else says, I wouldn’t trade Nate for anybody in the country,” Barnes said. “He has been good all year, and I knew it would take him some time to figure out the physicality part of it for any freshman to add to his game. And he earns it. He is the last guy to leave at practice.”
Barnes said that Ament, who delivers 17.1 points and 6.4 rebounds per game, turned the corner after a challenging outing Jan. 10 against defending champion Florida.
“The game has slowed down for him,” Barnes said. “He is really seeing the court. He loves to pass it and is a terrific passer. … Since Florida, he is a totally different person mentally the way he approaches the game and sees it. That second half is something that, from back when to the time were recruiting him, that none of us would really be surprised. He was locked in.”
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.
