While an SEC basketball game did happen in Columbia, South Carolina, on Tuesday night, Tennessee basketball looked different.
The Vols got a bulk of their scoring from different areas, only grabbed 11 offensive rebounds and ironically looked dominant in one of their first league games all year. Nate Ament’s absence acted as the glaring reason for this irony, the star freshman sitting out after sustaining a right leg injury in the opening half of Tennessee’s meeting with Alabama over the weekend.
Heading into the Vols’ trip to face basement dweller South Carolina, the status of one of Tennessee’s most important cogs remained up in the air. The feared severity of Ament’s injury lasted only until the conclusion of the Vols’ 78-59 win over the Gamecocks.
“I could just tell you, if it were up to Nate, he would have played today,” head coach Rick Barnes said. “I’ve told you guys all year, he’s one of the toughest kids I’ve ever been around. The fact that he played in the Missouri game after that high ankle turn, he wanted to play the other night. Obviously, doctors didn’t think it was the wisest thing to do. I can tell you, if it were up to him, he would have played today. Obviously, the right decision was not to play him.”
With the projected NBA lottery pick looking on from the bench in his warmup gear, Tennessee did what it needed to do.
The Vols filled in Ament’s scoring shoes with a pair of big nights from their big men. Felix Okpara tied a career-high 20 points while J.P. Estrella contributed 22 of his own. Tennessee dominated the paint to the tune of a 56-18 scoring margin beneath the rack.
On the outside, additional depth scoring made things even smoother. Amari Evans made his first career start in Ament’s spot, tallying seven points. Ethan Burg kept his solid play as of late rolling, knocking down a pair of triples.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie displayed a slow night in the scoring column by his standards, but made up for it with 12 assists. The Vols found a way to win with a different feel, something they’re bound to need as postseason play creeps to the door.
“We got depth,” Burg said. “Fortunately, I stepped up too today, hit a couple threes, had a couple steals. We’re super talented and if everybody does their job and understands their role, I think we’ll be a very good team.”
Now, a chance to clinch a double-bye in the SEC Tournament lies within Tennessee’s control. A win in the regular season finale against Vanderbilt not only increases the Vols’ chances at bringing home a championship, but also could provide some essential recovery time for Ament with some extra off time.
To Barnes, the timing of this adversity shows a silver lining.
“He’s had a long year,” Barnes said. “I don’t think anybody’s gotten beat up in college basketball more than Nate Ament this year. I don’t. But he’s never complained about it one time.
“I like to think that it could be a blessing in disguise. But if it were up to him, because Nate’s a tough kid, he would’ve played. I guarantee you if this was our last game of the year, Nate Ament would’ve played.”
