Nate Ament, Projected Top 5 Pick In '26 NBA Draft, Announces Commitment

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Apr 20, 2025 7:35 PM ET

Five-star power forward Nate Ament announced his commitment on Sunday evening.

Ament, the top uncommitted prospect in the class of 2025, committed to Tennessee, choosing the Vols over Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville and others. The No. 4 overall recruit in his class, per 247Sports' Composite Rankings, the 6-foot-10 Ament joins a loaded incoming class for the Vols that also includes four-star recruits Amari Evans and DeWayne Brown and coveted transfers Jaylen Carey and Ja'Kobi Gillespie.

"Coach (Rick) Barnes sees me as a one-and-done type player," Ament told ESPN's Jonathan Givony. "He has done it before with Kevin Durant. He sees me as that kind of guy for his program. I built a great relationship with the coaching staff. I trust them a lot, and they have big goals for me. I think they'll do a great job of developing me as a player and a young man. I trust the coaches to help me get to the next level."

Ament was named a McDonald's All-American this season after leading Warrenton (Va.) Highland High School to the VISAA Division 1 Championship, winning Virginia boys basketball Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the process.

At Tennessee, Ament is joining a Vols program that won the second-most games in a single season in school history in 2024-25, going 30-8.

Tennessee has made back-to-back Elite Eights under Rick Barnes and is now looking to take the next step and reach its first Final Four.

"I feel like we'll be a national championship team," Ament told Givony. "We're going to go on that kind of run. The coaches told me they plan to use me as an offensive weapon and then develop my defensive side. They don't assign me a position. They joke about it, but they see me as just a player. I can do everything on both ends of the floor."

Currently, Tennessee's 2025 recruiting class, with Ament in the fold, ranks No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the SEC behind Arkansas and Mississippi State, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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