Photo By Andrew Ferguson/Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee basketball freshman phenom Nate Ament has a decision to make. The Vols’ star forward could enter the NBA draft, where he’d likely be a lottery pick, or he could return to college for one more season. While the general consensus is that Ament will depart for the NBA, one NBA draft writer can’t help but think about the benefit of a return.

During an appearance on The Ryan Russillo Show, The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie was asked who the one player he wishes would go back to college to see what it’d look like would be. His answer was Ament.

“It’d be Nate Ament for me,” Vecenie said. “The answer to that question for me is almost always the guy that’s, like, physically underdeveloped on some level. I want those guys to get lower stakes reps than what they’re presented with in the NBA, just to develop their frame physically more.

“I really like Nate Ament, to be clear. He’s definitely a lottery pick for me. But, it’s more back half of the lottery because I really worry about him starting his NBA clock so early when he’s just not physically ready.”

Which CBB players should stay in school for another year? pic.twitter.com/D2x6zTt0oO

— The Ryen Russillo Show (@TheRyenRussillo) April 3, 2026

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Tennessee assistant coach Gregg Polinsky has a different perspective, though. While he’d of course welcome back Ament with open arms from a basketball perspective, he knows it’s too good of an opportunity to pass up if the feedback from NBA teams matches the mock draft projections.

“Of course, he’s gotta go (to the draft),” Polinsky said. “Unless his people, his family is great with him coming back. They’re amazing. Amazing family. But if he were my son, I’m telling him he’s got to go. Look, if he’s hearing a number that, meaning not money, but hey, you’re probably going to go 18-25, really? Okay, well, maybe I consider coming back.

“But I doubt it, guys. I’m going to be surprised if his name is not called in the lottery. And how high it can be in the lottery, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. So happy we had Nate Ament, and he shared his life and his talent with us. It’ll be one of the great things that I’ll remember, I’ll tell you that.”

As a freshman, Ament produced 16.7 points per game on 39.9% shooting from the field and 33.3% from range. He also contributed 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest.

However, Ament was far from healthy down the stretch. After missing the final week of the regular season, he gritted his way back into action for the SEC and NCAA Tournaments, though. The result was a third-straight Elite Eight run for Rick Barnes’ program.