On Monday night, the Tennessee Volunteers shared an update on star freshman Nate Ament's ankle injury that he suffered as the Vols lost ot the Alabama Crimson Tide over the weekend. The update had Tennessee fans feeling as uncertain as ever.
It confirmed that Ament would be sidelined on Tuesday night as the Volunteers took on the South Carolina Gamecocks. However, it also confirmed that it was only a high ankle sprain and nothing more concerning.
Yet, while the South Carolina matchup wasn't going to make or break Tennessee's season, Ament's availability for the rest of the year could be.
Ament's injury could make him focus on Draft instead of March
The Vols didn't share a timetable for Ament's return from the high ankle sprain, meaning he could return on Wednesday, or he could be sidelined for the rest of the season.
As a likely first-round pick in this year's NBA Draft, the lack of a return timeline as fans worried that Ament could take his time returning to the court, ensuring that his ankle is fully healed (and then some) for the NBA Combine and subsequent draft.
AVAILABILITY UPDATE—
— Tennessee Basketball (@Vol_Hoops) March 3, 2026
Nate Ament will not play tomorrow night at South Carolina.
Ament is out due to a right leg injury sustained Saturday against Alabama. The timetable for his return is to be determined and he will continue to be evaluated.
Or, in a more hopeful storyline, Ament could truly focus on his return for the Vols so that he could lead Tennessee through the upcoming SEC Tournament and following NCAA Tournament, which the Volunteers are currently slated as a five-seed by ESPN's Joe Lunardi.
No matter what, Ament will have to watch from the sidelines as his team works to defeat South Carolina on Tuesday night. With the win, the Vols would improve to 21-9, virtually cementing themselves as one of the top teams in the SEC.
To close out the regular season, with or without Ament in the starting lineup, Tennessee will face its in-state rival, the No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores, once again.