I always liked Ole Rick!
Five-star Kentucky target Nate Ament commits to an SEC rival
Story by Connor O'Bryan, UK Wildcats Wire
Kentucky basketball has missed out on another target, and this time a high-profile high school recruit.
Five-star high school forward Nate Ament has committed to the
Tennessee Volunteers over competing schools like Kentucky,
per ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
"This was a very hard decision," Ament said. "It took me a little longer than most. I wanted to make sure it was the right fit. I could have gone to any of the five finalists. Or even to schools outside the finalists. Ultimately, I felt like this was the best place for me and my family, and the coaching staff was the best fit for me. I was looking at the transfer portal and rosters for next season, asking myself how I would fit with teammates? How much can I trust the coaches I am talking to? What goals do they have, and do they align with mine?"
The 6'9" power forward was ranked as the
fourth-overall player in the 2025 high school basketball recruiting class. He was the highest ranked recruit that was still available, and had yet to commit to a college at any point during his high school campaign.
Ament outright said his freshman campaign at Tennessee will be his only as a college basketball player, as he'll soon be taking his next steps towards the NBA.
"Coach (Rick) Barnes sees me as a one-and-done type player," Ament said. "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."