Tennessee’s Rick Barnes gushes about Nate Ament’s growth during freshman season

The Tennessee Volunteers head coach, Rick Barnes, had plenty to reflect on after Wednesday night’s dramatic 86-85 overtime win over the Georgia Bulldogs, but one storyline stood out beyond the final score.

Following his 850th career victory, Barnes took time during the post-game press conference to publicly praise freshman Nate Ament, pointing to visible growth that extends far beyond the box score. Barnes acknowledged the challenge Ament has faced adjusting to life on the perimeter at the SEC level, especially with the attention that comes with being a marked player every night.

“I don’t know what they expected, but for a guy learning to play on the perimeter both offensively and defensively, it’s a hard thing to do, coming in at this level knowing that you got a huge target on your back every single night with somebody trying to go after you,” Barnes explained. “But Nate, he is really starting to see the game. I love watching him right now talk to the guys. Like during one of the timeouts, I said what I said, and he circled them up, and he took control. He said, ‘Listen, here’s what we’re doing.’ And he repeated it exactly. We haven’t had that, but he’s starting to see the game. Like when we run some actions, he’s starting to just play out of it, know what he needs to do.”

That leadership surfaced during a chaotic game in Athens. Ja’Kobi Gillespie led Tennessee with 21 points, while J.P. Estrella delivered five crucial points in overtime. The contest swung late in regulation when Georgia’s Marcus Millender hit a tough shot to force extra time, only for Tennessee to regain control through timely free throws and defensive pressure.

Ament backed Barnes’ words with production, finishing with 19 points as the Volunteers dominated the glass 52-27, including a decisive 26-7 edge on the offensive boards. Bishop Boswell added a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, helping Tennessee improve to 14-6 overall and 4-3 in SEC play.

As Tennessee returns home to face the Auburn Tigers on Saturday, Ament’s continued evolution, both as a scorer and an on-floor communicator, looms large. If his growing confidence keeps matching Barnes’ praise, the freshman could become a defining piece of the Volunteers’ stretch run.

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