It’s ironic.
In past years, a player descending from the professional ranks to suit up for a college basketball team would seem pure fantasy. This season alone, it’s happened a handful of times.
Tennessee basketball freshman Nate Ament joined the Vols as one of the top players out of high school to take the next step towards achieving his NBA dream. He didn’t expect to face someone stepping backwards.
When Crimson Tide center and NBA G League transplant Charles Bediako took the floor to the ovation of the crowd at Coleman Coliseum, the Vols’ brightest young talent rose to the challenge.
“I just really wanted to win that game,” Ament said. “Coming off a tough loss against Kentucky, and props to that Alabama team. They made us work for it. Every bucket, every stop. I just wanted to turn up with my guys, see the guys on the bench get all rowdy. Thought I’d get some energy back to them.”
And turn up Ament did.
The Manassas, Virginia, product racked up a career-best 29 points, racing past his previous high-water mark of 23. He knocked down 10 field goals, good enough for a 50% clip, while finding seven more points at the charity stripe. Ament flipped the headlines away from Bediako’s NCAA lawsuit, taking the focus out of the courtroom and onto the surface where things really matter – the hardwood. For head coach Rick Barnes, business operated in the same frame of mind.
“We didn’t do one thing different in terms of our scouting report,” Barnes said. “They made the changes they made, we said, ‘nothing’s changing,’ and now we’re going to guard these guys. We just said, even before it was announced he was going to play, we already had the game plan and we didn’t change anything.”
Once Ament exploded for an 18-point second half, his team hit stride with him after some sloppy moments at the start. Bediako had his successes at the rim and in the paint, but Ament’s effort emphasized what NBA scouts are searching for in a prized prospect. His endurance in all 38 minutes on the floor set the standard.
“It feels so good,” Ament said. “Especially when my other teammates are making shots and making plays, and I can celebrate with them and kind of feed on that energy and make it into maybe a stop on the defensive end and another bucket.:
For the first time during this SEC campaign, it became Ament’s world. The 6-foot-10 forward displayed poise with the basketball, exercising his strong driving ability when presented with an open lane. He made himself an asset from deep, connecting on a pair of threes that each played a large factor for his group’s momentum.
He didn’t even need a restraining order to do so.
“The best part was we had a really hard week this past week,” Barnes said. “I really felt that we came out tonight, and what we’ve worked on showed up here tonight. And hopefully it’s something we can build on, but it’s not gonna be easy. It’s never gonna be easy, and I hope they understand that.”
