Tennessee basketball fans will not love Rick Barnes' latest injury update on star forward Nate Ament. While anything can happen in March Madness, Ament's short-term outlook remains bleak.
Ament has not been 100 percent since hurting his ankle against Alabama on Feb. 28. The freshman has taken time off and played on minutes restrictions since, with the team hoping he would fully recover in time for March Madness, but Barnes confirmed that will not be the case.
Following Tennessee's first-round win over Miami, Ohio, Barnes confirmed that Ament will not be 100 percent healthy until the season is over, according to college basketball reporter Adam Zagoria. Ament was scoreless in 18 minutes of action in the Volunteers' dominant 78-56 victory.
Barnes did not hint at sitting Ament, suggesting the 19-year-old will continue gritting through the pain for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament.
Fans could tell that Ament has been off his game for a while. After briefly looking like he returned to form with a 27-point, eight-rebound game against Auburn in his first game back, Ament has been well off the mark since. The freshman shot just 1-for-13 from the floor in Tennessee's SEC Tournament loss to Vanderbilt before going 0-for-3 against Miami.
Ament was Tennessee's leading scorer before his injury, averaging 17.9 points through his first 28 games. He has only scored 41 points in his last four games since the Alabama contest, allowing teammate Ja'Kobi Gillespie to emerge as the team's top scorer entering the March Madness Round of 32.
Ament, a second-team All-SEC forward, is still a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. While scouts will take his injury into consideration, he is ending his Tennessee career on the lowest note possible.
