Tennessee basketball fans have been spoiled over the last several years, thanks to Rick Barnes’ ability to keep a core together while adding key pieces to the puzzle to move forward. That wasn’t the case this season and it was never going to be, with Zakai Zeigler, Chaz Lanier and Jahmai Mashack hitting the exits.
Barnes was forced to start almost completely fresh, hitting the transfer portal hard once again while also sticking his his proven success in the prep ranks. The prized possession of that
prep class was 5-star forward Nate Ament, who many had billed as a top five prospect for this summer’s NBA Draft.
Through the first half of the season though, it’s been a struggle. The 6-10 Ament has clearly struggled with physicality at this level, unable to find a groove in the paint with his slim frame. It’s something that Barnes has harped on throughout the season, even dating back to the summer months.
“But Nate is learning,” Barnes said on Tuesday night. “He would tell you, he would tell you that the physicality is much different than he ever could imagine. Even as much as we tried to beat him up this summer. But we do think if he gets to his spot that he’s a weapon, like getting the ball up over people.”
Finally, for the first time maybe all season, Tennessee played through Ament for an extended stretch — and he made things happen. With Texas A&M having a few post players in foul trouble, Ament attacked the basket when Tennessee needed him the most late in the second half.
His night started slow, like the rest of the team, but he would eventually rebound from his four-point first half.
“He started off and we sat him down,” Barnes said after the game. “And I thought while he was there, something happened because he started seeing the game totally differently when he came on the court. His ball-handling was certainly a big key in the game in the second half.“
Tennessee isolated Ament as the shot clock ran down and let him create in the lane. It wasn’t perfect, but he was getting the looks and at the very least drawing fouls in a tight game. Ament handled 43 minutes, scoring 23 points on 7-16 shooting. He also connected on 9-11 shots from the free throw line, which has been a lingering issue for Tennessee all season long. Almost all of that production came in crunch time with the game on the line.
“The physicality is something that, as much as we try to beat on him through the summer with players and doing this and doing that, it’s different when you get in the game,” Barnes said. “And he’s tried to play through it. He was better tonight, I felt, really fighting to drive, trying to get there, trying to get to his spots. But I mean Nate, he drew 10 fouls. Think about it, 23 points.”
Barnes played his lineups very differently against Texas A&M, blaming the lack of consistency from his frontcourt. Because of that, Ament shifted down to the four spot for much of the night. His length down there made a difference, perhaps despite the lack of strength. Ament came away with two big blocks late and his length really ended up making a difference in some rebound battles late.
With Ament at the four Tennessee ended up playing Troy Henderson alongside of Bishop Boswell and Ja’Kobi Gillespie. It was a smaller, more athletic look and Henderson’s shooting brought a different feel to the game.
Tennessee’s fight — and Ament’s step forward — might just settle this group down a bit after a rocky start. They certainly need to find a groove with Kentucky, at Alabama and at Georgia up next.
