Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said what needed to be said about Vols forward Nate Ament, but will anyone listen
Tennessee Vols true freshman Nate Ament is blossoming into a superstar in front of our eyes.
Tennessee Vols true freshman forward Nate Ament is blossoming into a superstar in front of our eyes.
Ament, who went through some early season adversity while adjusting to a different role than the one he was accustomed to in high school, is averaging 22.2 points per game over his last 10 games.
But while Ament is developing into the star that everyone projected him to be, he’s still not getting a superstar whistle from officials.
Ament has been terrific at getting to the free throw line — he’s averaging 8.8 free throw attempts over his last 10 games — but that’s only because he’s often forcing the issue. There are still plenty of instances where Ament gets hacked and officials do their best Ronnie Milsap impression, acting like they never saw a thing.
Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes reacts to the no-calls on Nate Ament
Vols head coach Rick Barnes, who won his 250th game at Tennessee on Saturday in the 73-63 win over LSU, was asked Saturday night about some of the no-calls on Ament.
“I can just tell you, I was on the rules committee, and I always said a foul is a foul,” said Barnes. “And I think if you get any kind of contact on the three-point line, why is that not the same call at 12 (or) 15 feet?”
“My biggest thing about officiating is that everybody in TV wants it under two hours, and if that’s what you’re going to go by, I see why some fouls aren’t called,” continued Barnes. “[If] they’re going to say we’ve got to get the games done in two hours — I don’t care if we have to stay out there for two and a half (hours) to get the game right. Let’s get it right.
“I still believe in freedom of movement. I do, and I don’t think that is called at all. And I think it should be. And understand this, we do the same thing. We do the same thing, and I would guard Nate the same way. There is no doubt…I think it’s a hard game to officiate. But when you got a guy that you’re playing through a lot, and Nate’s worked hard, I think he should get a better whistle.”
Barnes delicately threaded the needle of not being too critical of the officials while also standing up for his player. Ultimately, he said what needed to be said: Ament deserves a better whistle.
Whether Barnes’ words help Ament get a better whistle remains to be seen.
There’s no doubt officials have missed some big calls on Ament. But once he starts getting those calls — and that may not happen until later in his NBA career — we’ll see him become even harder to stop.
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