Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes believes he knows the next move for star freshman Nate Ament.
Ament is a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but the All-SEC forward has yet to declare. He has until 11:59 p.m. on April 24 to enter the draft. Ament can maintain his college eligibility until May 27, where he'll have to make a final decision to return or turn pro.
"I don't see how he can't go to the NBA, because I think he's one of the top players in the country," Barnes said on April 23. "You go through the process and you gather all the information that you can. He will do that, and he's going to make the right decision. Personally, I think I already know what the decision is because I know how good of a basketball player he is."
Ament came to Tennessee as the No. 4 recruit in the country and a coveted five-star prospect. He was a projected mid-to-late lottery pick throughout the season, but his stock is somewhat in question.
Some draft analysts released recent mocks with Ament outside the lottery. USA TODAY's Bryan Kalbrosky placed him on the edge at No. 15. Yahoo Sports slotted him down at No. 18, one of his lowest projections to date.
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 35 games. He shot nearly 40% from the floor and 33.3% from 3-point range. A right high ankle sprain injury at the end of the regular season shook Ament's rhythm during the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
"Nate is so special," Barnes said. "We love him to death. I just think that honestly, when he goes through this process, any and every team he sits down in front of sees the same that we see. There's so much more to him than what you see on the court.
"Basketball-wise, right now, there's no ceiling for him. He hasn't even scratched the surface. He's the kind of game that every franchise − and certainly at the University of Tennessee, we want him to be the face of the program, and every franchise will see that too. It's amazing what he did in one year here, and so much of it off the court."
Freshman forward DeWayne Brown II would love to have another season with Ament, but he hasn't tried to recruit him.
"I'll just let Nate do his thing and figure it out for himself," said Brown, who is one of two returners from the Elite Eight roster along with freshman guard Troy Henderson. "I want him to make the decision that's best for himself."
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee coach Rick Barnes believes he knows Nate Ament's NBA decision