Tennessee basketball's highest-profile commit in the 2025 recruiting class, Nate Ament, committed to Tennessee in April and officially signed with the Vols' 2025 class on April 21.
His decision, though, wasn't easy. He chose Tennessee over Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Notre Dame, and dozens of other programs in college basketball.
Tennessee and Duke seemed to be Ament's top choices, and former LSU basketball and NBA star Shaquille O'Neal gave Ament some insights on how he should approach his recruiting decision.
"My advice to you," Shaq said on Netflix's Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal, "I know you're picking schools. Go where they need you, not where they want you. I like Duke, but they already got a cat they're high on. You don't want to be number two. You're never number two; you're number one."
While Shaq didn't directly tell Ament to sign with Tennessee, their conversation clearly showed that they felt better about being the No. 1 guy at Tennessee rather than Duke.
A year after Tennessee lost four starters and six key players, Ament has the opportunity to step in and make an immediate impact on Rick Barnes and the Vols throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Nate Ament is "The future of Reebok basketball"
While Tennessee and Vol Nation are excited for Ament to join the Vols on Rocky Top, Shaq and Reebok might be even more excited to see the incoming freshman take the court.
On its basketball social media platforms, Reebok announced that Ament has signed a personal deal with the company, declaring him the "future of Reebok basketball."
"The pride of Manassas, Virginia – Nate Ament is a top-ranked prospect in the United States and a consensus 5-star recruit," Reebok shared. "Standing at 6'9", the versatile wing is projected to be a high lotto pick in 2026 and aims to carry on the longstanding legacy of basketball in the DMV. Welcome to the Future of Reebok Basketball."
Ament is a five-star power forward and the No. 4 ranked player in the country, the No. 2 power forward, and the No. 1 player in Virginia in the 2025 class.
He is also the fifth McDonald's All-American player to sign with Tennessee in the last seven years, as Rick Barnes continues bringing some of the country's best athletes to Rocky Top. As a senior, Ament averaged 19.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, earning Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year honors.