We don't have to hype things up when it comes to Tennessee basketball taking on Kentucky. These two rivals don't like one another and there's always plenty of drama when the Vols and Wildcats take the hardwood.
Come Tuesday night, though, it looks like Rick Barnes and the Vols have some extra motivation to post a win. That's because according to multiple reports, 5-star power forward Nate Ament is in Knoxville for an unofficial visit. Could a win over Kentucky help the Vols come away with a major recruiting win?
Five-star forward Nate Ament is visiting Tennessee again tonight.
— Mike Wilson (@ByMikeWilson) January 28, 2025
Ament is the No. 4 prospect in the nation and is the second five-star visitor for the Vols in the past week. https://t.co/y3byRSQWO2
5-star PF Nate Ament is on an unofficial visit with the Tennessee Vols
This is the second time in recent weeks where Tennessee has had a 5-star playmaker on campus, as Brayden Burries was previously in town to watch the Vols take down Mississippi State. While the team is making noise on the hardwood, Barnes and his staff are doing the same off of it.
Recruiting never sleeps for Tennessee, with Burries and Ament obviously being top targets. Ament is widely considered one of the best players in the country for his class. According to the 247Sports Composite, the 6-9, 185-pounder is ranked the No. 2 PF in the country, No. 1 player from Virginia and No. 4 player nationally.
He's got playmaker written all over him and nearly 30 programs have put an offer on the table. Thus far, Ament has taken official visits to Texas, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Louisville. The fact that he's back in Knoxville for this primetime matchup tells you he's got high interest in potentially playing for Barnes.
Right now, the focus for the staff is on taking down the Wildcats in this primetime ESPN matchup. However, plenty of attention is surely going towards making sure Ament enjoys every minute he's around the players and program as a whole.