Nate Ament was selected at No. 13 overall last Tuesday, becoming the highest draft pick of the Rick Barnes era at Tennessee. The 6-10 wing is a former 5-star prospect who spent just one season in Knoxville. Ament helped the Volunteers to a third-straight Elite Eight appearance.
Ament is the highest Tennessee draft pick since 2002.
The Milwaukee Bucks selected Ament as a part of the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade, which saw the star player shipped to the Miami Heat. Ament will now help the Bucks fill those
vacated minutes at the same position.
“I mean, I really wouldn’t say it’s much extra pressure,” Ament said when asked about being a part of the big trade. “Obviously we’re stepping in — luckily I’m not going at it alone. I have got another top-10 draft pick, Brayden Burries. He’s a tremendous player, and I’m excited to get to learn with him.
“Yeah, they are big shoes to fill over there in Milwaukee, and I think that it’s just a tremendous opportunity for me and Brayden. If anything, I see it as an opportunity and not pressure.”
Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for Tennessee last season. Those numbers really ticked up in SEC play as the freshman got more and more comfortable asserting himself into the offense. By the end of the year, Ament was the go-to guy for Rick Barnes offensively. He made his money slashing to the rim and posting in the mid-range, drawing several fouls per game and cashing in at the free throw line. Ament also got more comfortable shooting late in the season.
“I’m just super excited,” Ament said. “Again, like I said, I’m super grateful for the opportunity. To be able to make my family proud, to share that moment with my family means the world to me. So super excited and ready to get to work.”
Ament will need to continue developing that shooting stroke for more consistency, while also getting stronger to maximize those finishes through contact at the rim. He was one of the more polarizing prospects in the entire draft, thanks to his slow start through November and December. By the end of the season though, you saw the potential shine through.
With Giannis no longer in Milwaukee, Ament should have plenty of minutes to work with in his rookie season.
