‘Sometimes people get disappointed’ – Rick Barnes drops strong quote on Vols forward Nate Ament
Tennessee Vols freshman forward Nate Ament had a career night against the Alabama Crimson Tide.
The Tennessee Vols took care of business against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa.
Tennessee beat Alabama, 79-73, giving the Vols their fifth straight win against the Crimson Tide.
The Vols were led in scoring by true freshman forward Nate Ament, who scored a career-high 29 points. It was the kind of game that fans have been expecting from the former five-star recruit.
Rick Barnes drops important quote on Nate Ament
Vols head coach Rick Barnes met with reporters after the win over Alabama and made what I believe were some important comments about Ament.
Ament is averaging 16.2 points per game as a true freshman. He’s had some uneven performances this season as he adjusts to life in the SEC, but his talent is undeniable.
Unfortunately, it seems that young players aren’t allowed to be young anymore, thanks to the championship-or-bust mentality that’s developed in the NIL/transfer portal era. That mindset has led to some fans and media suggesting that Ament is a “bust,” which is laughably absurd considering he just turned 19 last month (and again, 16.2 points per game as a true freshman is impressive).
That’s why I thought it was important Barnes pointed out that he’s not “one bit disappointed” with the way Ament’s played this season for the Volunteers.
“Nate’s been good all year,” said Barnes. “I’ve said it from the beginning — he’s a guy that is playing a position he’s never played. In high school, he was more of a four or five kind of player. He’s played on the perimeter pretty much exclusively. We’ve gone with him at the four a couple of times, but not very much. But what he’s learning to do, as much as we try to adjust him to the physicality that he was going to see, it’s something that you have to live. And he’s lived it.
“I’ve said it before, I don’t think he’s had a great whistle all year. But he’s starting to understand how to attack space and not to get himself in trouble by going too deep. But he was terrific tonight. Again, I think he’s been really good all year. I know that when expectations are high for a player, sometimes people get disappointed, but we are not one bit disappointed with what he’s done for us all year. He’s gonna keep getting better. It was just a matter of time until you felt like he would get the flow, the confidence, and the vision to see where and how he needed to attack.”
Ament has a chance to be a great player at the next level. He has all the tools to be an All-Star caliber player in the NBA, but he still has a lot of developing to do. And that development, at times, comes from making mistakes or not always making the right play. It will never be perfect for any player, but that’s especially true for a player who was in high school less than a year ago.
Everyone’s development timeline is different. Ament may not have come out of the gate averaging 30 points a game for the Vols this season, but he’s still capable of being the best player in the country come tournament time in March.
Tennessee Volunteers News
Tennessee Vols QB receives the edge over Texas QB Arch Manning on the list of top players in college football
Texas Longhorns QB Arch Manning was ranked below a Tennessee Vols QB by Pro Football Focus.
