Rick Barnes updates status of Nate Ament after Tennessee freshman misses South Carolina game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Rick Barnes and Tennessee didn’t struggle at all despite missing Nate Ament during a win at South Carolina on Tuesday. The freshman didn’t play due to an injury suffered on Saturday against Alabama.
What was originally reported as a leg injury turned out to be more of an ankle injury, Barnes said after the game. That’s according to 247Sports’ Ben McKee.
With just one game remaining before the SEC Tournament, the timing isn’t ideal for the Vols. But it won’t keep Ament out for the remainder of the season, Barnes said.
“If it were up to Nate, he would have played today,” he added.
That’s good news for the Vols, who are looking to nail down a top-four spot in the SEC standings and guarantee themselves a double-bye to the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Ament has been outstanding for Tennessee. He entered Tuesday averaging 17.4 points and 6.4 rebounds per game.
With Ament absent and Ja’Kobi Gillespie struggling against South Carolina, J.P. Estrella and Felix Okpara both picked up the slack for the Volunteers. The two players combined for 42 points and shot 20-of-27 from the field as Tennessee cruised to a 78-59 win.
The Volunteers end the regular season on Saturday as they host Vanderbilt.
Can Ament lead the Vols to the Sweet 16? Prediction market Kalshi is taking action on which teams will move past the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament!
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
