Tennessee has a big Sweret 16 game ahead of them this Friday night when they take on Iowa State. The Vols made the second weekend largely without star freshman Nate Ament's help. That's not to say he wasn't a factor in the win over Virginia, because he was, adding 16 points, but he had no points against Miami (OH).
The latest Joshua Jefferson injury update ahead of Tennessee vs. Iowa State
Now, we have to mention the fact that he's been nursing an ankle injury, which kept him out of the last week of games of the regular season. In FanSided's most recent NBA mock draft, Christopher Kline has Ament falling to No. 12 to the Portland Trail Blazers. Ament was the No. 5 player in the 2025 class and was consistently mocked in the top eight or so, but after his recent inefficiencies, he's been falling in mock drafts.
Will Nate Ament come back?
This is a million-dollar question. Figuratively and literally. Ament has all the potential in the world, but he's not the most polished player. He has the size that NBA teams will love and he doesn't have a glaring weakness in his game. However, he has been inefficient when shooting and while he's not a bad athlete he doesnt boast elite athleticism. I still don't think Tennessee keeps him around, but there is a chance.
There's no question that Ament loves playing in Knoxville. He speaks very highly of Rick Barnes, his teammates, and the fans. Ament already has a very large NIL package, so the NBA compensation at pick No. 12 won't be much of a difference. If he stays in Knoxville, he can polish his game and still make money while competing for an NCAA title next year, while being the guy. This could push him into the top five for the 2027 NBA Draft, where he could make a lot more on his rookie deal, but there is a risk to this if he gets hurt.
Regardless, the sooner Ament gets to the NBA, the faster he gets to his second contract, where players make a fortune. If he goes now, he avoids the risk of an injury at Tennessee hurting his stock, and he can develop in the NBA by playing against the best players in the world.
There isn't a wrong answer for Ament, but I know Vols fans will hope to get one more season from the star freshman.