Nate Ament records road stat line not matched by D-1 freshman in nearly two decades
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Nate Ament hasn’t failed to live up to the hype after signing with Tennessee as a five-star recruit out of the class of 2025. The true freshman is being considered as a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft if he decides to take the one-and-done route at the close of the season.
On Saturday against No. 17 Alabama, Ament had his best game as a Volunteer. He scored 27 points, pulled down seven rebounds, and dished out three assists in the Vols’ 79-73 victory over the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
Ament is now second on the team in scoring (16.2 ppg) and is tied with Jaylen Carey for the team lead in rebounds (6.4 rpg). But his stat line against the Tide was unique. In fact, he’s the first freshman in Division 1 with at least 29 points, 7 rebounds, and three assists on the road against a ranked opponent since Chase Budinger totaled 30 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists in No. 24 Arizona’s 77-74 win over No. 13 Oregon on February 10, 2007.
The road doesn’t get easier for the Vols on Wednesday as they visit No. 21 Georgia. Tennessee is looking for consecutive wins for the first time since three straight victories in December.
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.
