As the Tennessee Volunteers look to make a deep run at the NCAA Tournament, they will be boosted by Nate Ament’s return to full fitness. The freshman forward made his return from injury during the SEC Tournament and looks primed to make an impact during the postseason.
Nate Ament’s Injury Status Ahead of NCAA Tournament
Ament had been out with a leg injury since Feb. 28 but made his return for the Volunteers on a minutes restriction during the SEC Tournament. He played 32 minutes against Auburn, delivering an impressive performance in which he scored 27 points (46.7% from the field) and grabbed eight rebounds.
The next day, Ament could only manage a 1-of-13 shooting performance against Vanderbilt as the Volunteers fell to a 75-68 defeat.
It was clear that Ament was still a little rusty during the Vanderbilt game, as coach Rick Barnes explained afterward.
“I think it was good for him to get some of the rust off. I thought it was important that he did get to play in Nashville. I’m not sure that the doctors wanted him to play as much as he played. I’m not sure if we kept winning how much he would’ve played,” Barnes said via Knox News on Sunday.
“If it were up to him, well, you’d have to sit him down, because he wanted to play,” he added.
Ament also spoke about his leg after the defeat to the Commodores. The weeklong break between games should help him get back to full fitness.
“(My leg) felt pretty good. Again, I don’t want to blame it on my leg, why I didn’t play well. I just wasn’t making shots. I gotta be better than that,” he said.
Ament will no doubt be raring to go as the Volunteers begin their NCAA Tournament campaign on Friday. They will face the winner of the First Four clash between the SMU Mustangs and the Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (tipoff at 4:25 p.m. ET).
MARCH MADNESS: Fill In Your Bracket Now!
Regarded as a possible lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft, the 19-year-old will be keen to make an impact on the big stage. Going into his first March Madness tournament, Ament is averaging 17.5 points per game this season, shooting 40.5% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc.
Seeded sixth in the Midwest Region, the Volunteers will look to put their defensive struggles aside and improve on their back-to-back runs to the Elite Eight. And Ament’s versatility and scoring will be crucial to the Volunteers’ hopes.
