Tennessee has officially ruled out star freshman Nate Ament for Tuesday night’s matchup against South Carolina, the program announced Monday. Ament sustained a leg injury during Saturday’s 71-69 loss to Alabama and is still undergoing evaluation to determine the severity.
The team has not provided a timetable for his return, leaving uncertainty around how long the Volunteers will be without one of their top contributors.
The injury occurred when Ament collided with multiple Crimson Tide players while diving for a loose ball in the first half. He exited the game and returned briefly in the second half but ultimately played only 11 minutes. This marks a significant setback for Tennessee, as Ament had become a key piece of their offense, especially after a strong February stretch where he consistently contributed on both ends of the court.
Ament has been one of the Volunteers’ most productive players this season. He ranks second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game, and leads Tennessee in rebounds with 6.4 per contest.
His absence will test the depth of the Volunteers’ roster and put additional pressure on leading scorer Ja’Kobi Gillespie to carry the offensive load against South Carolina.
Assistant coach Justin Gainey explained that the program is still awaiting results from an MRI Ament underwent on Sunday. “It wasn’t a lot of information that we got because they hadn’t received the MRIs yet,” Gainey said.
Tennessee did allow Ament to work out separately on Monday, but he did not participate in the team practice, leaving his availability beyond Tuesday in question.
The Volunteers have a critical week ahead as they close out the regular season with the South Carolina game followed by a home contest against rival Vanderbilt on Saturday.
Afterward, Tennessee will travel to Nashville for the SEC Tournament, and missing Ament could have major implications for both the SEC and NCAA Tournament.
With the Volunteers projected as a No. 5 seed in CBS Sports’ Bracketology, the team will need to adjust quickly if their star freshman is sidelined for an extended period.
