Nathaniel Herman Ament (born December 10, 2006) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Tennessee Volunteers. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class.
 Ament with the Tennessee Volunteers in 2026 | |||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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| Born | December 10, 2006 Woodbridge, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | |||||||||||||||
| College | Tennessee (2025–2026) | ||||||||||||||
| Position | Small forward | ||||||||||||||
| Career highlights | |||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Early life and high school career
editAment grew up in Manassas, Virginia and initially attended Colgan High School.[1] He played as a reserve on the varsity basketball team during his freshman season and scored 53 total points.[2] He averaged 18.2 points and nine rebounds per game as a sophomore.[3] After his sophomore year Ament transferred to the Highland School in Warrenton, Virginia.[4] He averaged 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, four blocks, and 3.7 assists per game in his first season at Highland.[5] During his senior year, he signed a shoe deal with Reebok.[6] Ament was named the 2024–2025 Virginia boys basketball Gatorade Player of the Year.[7] Ament was selected to play in the 2025 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.[8]
Recruiting
editAment was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class, according to major recruiting services.[9][10] On April 20, 2025, Ament committed to playing college basketball for Tennessee over Duke, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Louisville.[11]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nate Ament PF |
Manassas, VA | Highland School (VA) | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Apr 20, 2025 | |
Recruit ratings: Rivals:  247Sports: On3: ESPN: (97) | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 4 247Sports: 4 On3: 4 ESPN: 4 | ||||||
Sources:
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College career
editAment averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game as a freshman, helping Tennessee reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He was named to the Second Team All-SEC. Following the season he declared for the 2026 NBA draft.[12]
National team career
editAment played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2024 FIBA U18 AmeriCup.[13] He averaged 3.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game as the United States won the gold medal.[14]
Personal life
editAment's father, Albert, played college basketball at Wayne State.[15] His mother, Godelive, is a native of Rwanda and met Albert while he was working for Catholic Relief Services and both were taking part in relief efforts in the aftermath of the Genocide Against Tutsi in Rwanda.[16]
References
edit- ↑ Newton, Matt (July 24, 2023). "Virginia Offers Four-Star Forward Nate Ament, No. 1 In-State Recruit". SI.com. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ↑ Fawcett, Dave (November 29, 2022). "Colgan's Nate Ament ready for a breakout season". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ↑ Fawcett, Dave (October 27, 2023). "Nate Ament and the rise of Highland boys basketball". InsideNoVa.com. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
- ↑ Fawcett, David (August 30, 2023). "Top-rated basketball recruit Nate Ament transfers to Warrenton's Highland School". Fauquier Now. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ↑ McGavic, Matthew (April 23, 2024). "Louisville Offers Top-20 '25 Prospect Nate Ament". SI.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
- ↑ "Manassas resident Nate Ament signs deal with Reebok". InsideNoVa.com. October 16, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ↑ Van De Griek, Ross (March 21, 2025). "Nate Ament wins Virginia high school basketball Gatorade player of the year". si.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- ↑ Trotter, Isaac (April 1, 2025). "2025 McDonald's All-American Game rosters: BYU signee AJ Dybantsa, Duke's Cameron Boozer headline teams". cbssports.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- ↑ "Could Mark Pope and Kentucky basketball land 5-star Nate Ament?". WHAS11.com. September 12, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ↑ Banks, Jared (October 16, 2024). "Smooth Operator: Class of 2025 Highland Park Star Nate Ament Details How Family and Competitiveness Shaped His Journey". Slam. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ↑ Givony, Jonathan (April 20, 2025). "Top-5 recruit Nate Ament commits to Tennessee Volunteers". espn.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
- ↑ "Tennessee forward Nate Ament declares for NBA draft after 1 season". ESPN. April 23, 2026. Retrieved May 13, 2026.
- ↑ "Highland's Nate Ament wins a gold medal". Fauquier Now. June 10, 2024. Retrieved September 27, 2024.
- ↑ Fisher, Chris (June 18, 2024). "Kentucky offers 5-star forward". 247Sports. Retrieved September 30, 2024.
- ↑ Branham, Travis (May 15, 2023). "2025 SF Nate Ament breaks out as a national prospect". 247Sports. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
- ↑ Sikubwabo, Damas (August 21, 2024). "Nate Ament: Youngster with Rwandan roots ranked among USA's basketball finest". The New Times. Retrieved October 17, 2024.