Tennessee's Rick Barnes Optimistic About Nate Ament's Injury Recovery

Ament missed the Volunteers' win over South Carolina with a leg injury.

Mar. 4, 2026 at 5:41am

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Tennessee basketball coach Rick Barnes expressed optimism about the recovery of star freshman Nate Ament, who missed the team's 78-59 victory over South Carolina due to a leg injury. Barnes said Ament, the Volunteers' second-leading scorer, is 'one of the toughest kids' he's ever coached and wanted to play, but doctors held him out as a precaution with the postseason approaching.

Why it matters

Ament's health is crucial for Tennessee as they look to make a deep run in the SEC tournament and NCAA Tournament. The 19-year-old forward is averaging 17.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.0 steals per game this season.

The details

In Ament's absence, Tennessee got strong performances from JP Estrella (22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists) and Felix Okpara (20 points, 8 rebounds) to defeat South Carolina. Barnes said the decision to hold Ament out was made by the team's medical staff, not the player himself, who wanted to suit up.

  • Nate Ament missed the March 4, 2026 game against South Carolina due to his leg injury.

The players

Rick Barnes

The head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers basketball team.

Nate Ament

A 19-year-old freshman forward for the Tennessee Volunteers who is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 17.4 points per game.

JP Estrella

A Tennessee player who had 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists off the bench in the win over South Carolina.

Felix Okpara

A Tennessee player who had 20 points and 8 rebounds in the win over South Carolina.

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What they’re saying

“He looks good today. We obviously knew he was not going to play. Our doctors and trainers will tell us about that. I could just tell you, if it were up to Nate, he would have played today.”

— Rick Barnes, Head Coach, Tennessee Volunteers

“I've told you guys all year, he's one of the toughest kids I've ever been around. The fact that he played in the Missouri game after that high ankle turn, he wanted to play the other night. Obviously, doctors didn't think it was the wisest thing to do. I can tell you, if it were up to him, he would have played today. Obviously, the right decision was not to play him.”

— Rick Barnes, Head Coach, Tennessee Volunteers

What’s next

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The takeaway

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