Tennessee star Nate Ament reveals NBA Draft decision
By David Wasson
Published:
Tennessee standout Nate Ament is headed to the National Basketball Association, the freshman declared via a social media post Thursday night.
Ament made his declaration public on Instagram, as the former McDonald’s All-American and second-team All-SEC selection is now a one-and-done in Knoxville.
“I want to dedicate this post to my Vol family. Your guys love and support is a huge reason I have this opportunity,” Ament wrote. “It’s because of you guys that I was able to grow. Ya’ll stuck with me through the bad games and the good. I promise to always represent the Vols with the utmost pride.
“This University means more to me than just basketball — to me it’s a place I call home. I might’ve only been here a year but I’ll remember this year for the rest of my life.”
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Volunteers in 2025-26. Ament started all 35 games he appeared in, including the four games Tennessee earned in the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champ Michigan in the Elite Eight.
Tennessee went 25-12 overall and 11-7 in the SEC under the direction of Hall of Fame coach Rick Barnes in 2025-26, coming up one victory shy of earning the program’s first Final Four berth.
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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.
