Nate Ament believes he has ‘best upside’ in 2026 NBA draft

CHICAGO – In what is supposed to be one of the best NBA drafts in league history, there may not be a prospect with more potential and intrigue than former University of Tennessee forward Nate Ament.

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo projects that Ament will be selected 10th overall in the 2026 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6-foot-9 1/2 baby-faced forward was also told by a doctor in May that he still has more room in his growth plates. The 19-year-old is athletic, skilled, can shoot from the perimeter, and has a 6-11 1/2 wingspan and 9-1 1/2 standing reach.

Ament averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a freshman with the Volunteers last season. He also earned All-Southeastern Conference Second-Team and SEC All-Freshman team honors while helping guide Tennessee to the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA tournament.

So, can Ament live up to his potential?

“I got probably the best upside in the draft,” Ament told Andscape on May 11 during the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in Chicago. “’m not even scratching the surface of the player I can be. Ever since I started playing basketball, every year I’ve gotten better and better. So, I do think that I’m just going to continue on that trend.”

Andscape is celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday with a Q&A series including some of the 2026 NBA draft’s top prospects and their fathers. In this series, the fathers and soon-to-be-drafted sons discuss their relationship through basketball, life lessons, the perceptions of Black fatherhood, their excitement and anxiety toward the draft, what NBA teams are getting on and off the court, and more.

The fathers and sons who participated include Ament and his father, Albert Ament; former Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr., and his father, Darius Acuff Sr.; former Duke center Cameron Boozer and his father, former NBA All-Star Carlos Boozer; former Louisville guard Mikel Brown Jr. and his father, Christopher Brown Sr.; former BYU forward AJ Dybantsa and his father, Anicet “Ace” Dybantsa Sr.; and former Houston guard Kingston Flemings and his father, Demetric “Dee” Flemings. The first day of the draft is Tuesday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

The following is a Q&A interview starting with Ament’s session followed by his father’s.

How much better can you be as a basketball player?

Nate Ament: There’s definitely a lot of room to grow. I feel like I can take my career in so many different ways. That’s another reason why the team that I get drafted by is huge because they’re going to have a huge imprint on the player I become. But me as a player, I feel like I’m so [unique]. I can learn and pick up so many different things.

I have so much potential to grow in any facet of the game. So, I don’t think I’m close to becoming the player I want to be. And that’s the way I want it to be, honestly. I want to wake up every morning with the hunger to chase that potential that I have.

What do you tell teams about you on the court and off the court as to why they should draft you?

It’s a good question. I usually tell them that when they asked specifically about basketball, just my versatility as a player, offensively and defensively. My willingness to do whatever the team needs me to do. And just my competitive spirit. I just want to win. I want to be out there playing every game I can be. And then also, just off the court, I’m a good character guy, humble man, rooted deep in my faith, and a big family man, for sure.

Are you still growing?

I actually got an X-ray before I left [for the NBA Pre-Draft Camp], and they said my growth plates were still open. So, got a couple more inches in me, maybe. And also, I don’t have any facial hair. So, we are thinking that I got a couple more inches left. I’m 6-9.

You can be an intriguing name on draft day because you can go low or high. What are your thoughts?

The biggest thing for me [is] just having teams [work me out]. Once they see me, they will see it’ll be a smart choice for them to draft me. Obviously, that’s just me knowing myself. But the biggest thing for me is getting out in front of them, letting them see my game. But also, just talking with them. [The] interview process will be great, letting them just hear me as an individual, and I think that’ll pan out well for me.

Five years from now, what will be said about you as a player?

I hope first and foremost to be labeled as a competitor, someone who’s tough, someone who wants to be there on the floor every minute. But also, I want to put myself in position to compete with the best of them, win as many accolades as I can. But also, the main thing is to win as many [NBA] Finals as I can.

The draft falls two days after Father’s Day. Did that mean anything to you when you saw that?

It’s awesome, like the day of when I came here [to Chicago for the NBA Pre-Draft Camp], it was Mother’s Day. Then a couple days before the draft, it’s Father’s Day. It ties in the whole family aspect to it. Those guys mean everything to me, and I’m so grateful I’m able to share this experience with them.

What is your dad like? What does he mean to you?

He means so much to me, especially in this space in basketball. Oftentimes you see fathers hands-on in basketball and kind of running the show. My dad’s the complete opposite. He’s the coolest guy I know. And if I could be half the man he is, I’m a pretty good guy. But he’s someone who throughout this whole process, no matter what sport I was playing, he just loved me for the kid I was. No matter if I was playing well, playing bad, he just told me to keep a smile on my face and enjoy the moment. So, to have someone in your corner that doesn’t care how you perform, doesn’t care even what sport you’re playing, it’s great.

I told him of some of my dreams to go to the NBA one day. And he wasn’t someone who was pushing me every day to accomplish these dreams. He just wanted me to be happy while I was doing it. So, I’m grateful to have a dad like him, who’s just conscious of my well-being.

Do you think that if he pushed hard, it could have worked out negatively?

It could have a little bit. There’s also some push and pull with that. He obviously was a great player himself. He knows what it takes to play at a high collegiate level. But it was a great balance because I kind of had that drive myself. I was pushing myself, and I still am, as hard as I could. But he was just someone that just made sure I was always happy.

Your dad is also unique in the fact that he’s a white man who spent time in Rwanda, married your mother and worked in the Peace Corps. He raised four mixed-race boys. How did he do that? And did you notice any challenges for him, or were there any challenges?

Not really, honestly. He’s the coolest white boy I know. You can call him African American. He understands culture for sure, especially over there in Rwanda, and on the continent of Africa. But you talk to him, and he can kind of connect with anybody no matter their race, no matter where they’re from, their ethnicity. And that’s kind of where I get some of my background from. I’m able to connect with so many different people just because of my dad. He was just so outgoing that way, willing to learn so much about different cultures and also just talk to literally anybody.

What could be learned about him, about how he’s just comfortable in any room, like the kind of human he is?

He’s the most selfless guy. One of the one of the biggest lessons he taught me growing up was whenever you’re speaking to someone, make them feel like the most important person in the world, and give them your full attention. And he does that every time he speaks to somebody. He’s always asking questions, trying to learn everything there is to know about someone’s life, and just making them feel good while they talk to him. That’s a special power to have in life, to make the person you’re talking to feel really special. That’s just kind of the person he is. He’s such an outgoing person. He wants to make everyone around him just kind of feel better about themselves and feel like they’re heard.

Do you think there is a misconception about you in terms of your toughness?

Absolutely. And not just me, that’s kind of a misconception with a lot of guys. You see my frame, my build, you think I’m weak. You think I’m not as strong as I am. First huge credit to the guys at Tennessee, that our strength coach, Coach G [Garrett Medenwald], did a great job with me…

Strength on the basketball court is directly correlated to toughness. If you want to outwork somebody or out-tough somebody, you can, no matter how much you weigh, no matter how much they weigh. But for me, I hang my hat on being tough. And that doesn’t mean you’re being like in someone’s face all the time, or you know, bumping into people all the time. That just means on every play, not letting people outwork me on the court.

How good can the 2026 NBA draft class be?

It can be the best, the best class ever, honestly. You look at the guys at the top and even the guys, you know, close to the bottom of the lottery, I think it’s the deepest draft we’ve ever had.

What lessons that your father has taught you in life that you’re going to take to you wherever you go play in the NBA?

I talked about earlier about how he says to make everyone you’re talking to feel like the most special person on Earth. But also, another one was, ‘Whatever you’re doing, do it to the best of your ability.’ He would say that a lot. And a lot of time I wouldn’t want to hear it because it’ll be him telling me about yard work and I didn’t want to do it. But if you’re going to do something, do it to the best of your ability. And also, just loving people, make everyone feel special, but also just being the kindest person you can. And just representing our family in the best way possible.

Did you ever get to see old video of him playing in college?

I did not. It’s crazy. I went to his college, and they have the [Wayne State] Hall of Fame. And then we took some pictures of him in the Hall of Fame. And then I went to my grandma’s house in Michigan, and you see the [newspaper] cutouts. And there’s like a picture of him on a newspaper with this buzz cut, and it’s talking about how they were in the rival’s gym, and they were calling him, ‘Buzz Cut, Buzz Cut,’ and making fun of him the whole game. And he gave them 20 points and won them the game. So, it’s kind of cool to see how he kind of was going through the same things I was going through as a young kid.

How much pride do you have in that last name?

So much pride. My family is the most important thing to me on this Earth. And if there is anything I do, whether it’s playing basketball or off the court, I want to represent them to the best of my ability. When it comes to draft night, I’m not even going to be more emotional or more proud about me and where I get drafted, or how high or how low I get drafted. It’s just going to be I was able to represent my family on that night. And they’ve given me so much. So, if I can give them just to make them proud in a fraction of a way, then I’ve done my job.

What’s your first recollection of putting the basketball in Nate’s hands?

Albert Ament: I just said, ‘Hey, let’s just get [my two youngest sons] in this little kind of grassroots league near where we lived. And they started playing that, and they were more than happy to, Nate and his brother Frederick. And those are the two that kind of really sprouted up and grew a lot. And they just transitioned right into that, and they liked it, and they’d been watching the NBA more and more, and because I watched it a bit with them, March Madness, and all that.

They kind of went from soccer and right into basketball, and they just picked it up. I’d go and watch them play where they were playing, and their buddies would come, just kind of typical summer stuff that you all kind of grow up doing whether you go long distance in the game or not. Kind of a sandlot kind of a situation that they really enjoyed.

When did you say that Nate might be a little special at basketball?

He started to grow a lot. You always talk throughout the years who would be the tallest? And we’d come and say, ‘Alex, you’re going to be the shortest.’ And he’d get all mad. Or maybe Manny will be the tallest. And it just, it was really clear. Nate started to grow. Frederick got very tall. Frederick’s about 6-foot-6 and played some seasons in high school as well. But then Nate just kept growing and growing and growing, and I think the game came easy to him.

Some of his early coaches kind of said all that soccer kind of really helped with his footwork and the way he moved and can pivot and get around and get open. But he really just started to grow. And then given that he was able to play strongly and with confidence. And he got better and better. And another helpful thing, too, was when you’re around other kids about the same height, or so. He had that height that kind of helped him. And then it just kind of went from there.

Had you noticed that Father’s Day was two days before the NBA draft?

That’s amazing. Yeah, it’s really neat. They should plan it that way.

What should you fathers get?

Just old man stuff, I guess. Maybe get a chance to hang out together, have a beer, have a wine, talk sports. But it’s a special day.

What have your boys done for you in past Father’s Days?

Most of it’s probably because Mom is pushing them along and telling them what to do. You get that nice card, and probably the best ones are just a big old gift card to Lowe’s. I’ve got to get some birdseed or some topsoil. That always helped. Then we always go out and have a bite to eat together. Always being together is a big thing in the family.

When Nate makes it to the NBA, which of your teachings do you want him to take with him?

Find that path of a sport or a discipline and do your best at it. And Nate’s done that. And he’s getting into golf now and a little bit of fishing and still kicks the soccer ball around. But if you’re going to do something, do it really well, pursue it really hard, give it your best, and never take it too seriously. And Nate’s kind of been great with that. We chuckled kind of early on. He took the basketball and ran off maybe back to the school where he always used to go, and he said, ‘I’m heading off, I’m going to work on my craft.’

So, somewhere he picked that up where he had to be very specific and pay attention to something and work at it, work at it and be disciplined about it and did that day after day. That’s probably the big thing. Give you your best. And I’m always telling him to be very thankful, too. Give out those hugs and thank-yous to all the coaches he’s had in high school, in travel ball with AAU, and at Tennessee.

So, if one of his prospective NBA teams were to call you and say, what kind of person are we getting, what would you tell them?

I’ll tell him you’re getting a real sincere young man. Someone who’s kind of innocent in his own way. He’s very humble. He’s very deferential. He’ll think of others first, which he does. And he’s driven, determined, and self-motivated as well. A lot of people feel that and get a sense of that when they meet him and work with him, and I hope that’s good. It seems like he’s pretty good at speaking with people and interacting.

And we’ve had some great experiences together through the path of basketball. We’ve gone on with him to Rwanda and other places and just the visits to the universities and meeting the coaches and all that. He’s done great. We’ve let him do a lot of that. He’s got pretty big shoulders that way. I’d always check, ‘Are you okay? Do I need to talk to anybody? Do I have to call somebody? You want me to check in, in any way?’ And he’d be, ‘I’m okay.’ And that’s neat. So, he knew we were there if he needed us. But, he in his own way, really was able to juggle all that, which was great.

As a father, what guidance did you give in navigating NIL money and college?

Well, you know, Nate got close with his agent, Derek [Malloy], and Lift Sports and all those great people over there. His coaches as well. [Tennessee] coach [Rick] Barnes and coach Logan [Miller] in high school. We really leaned on them a lot. I’m a little old French teacher, and mom’s a nurse. And we got his other three brothers, and we’ve leaned on them a lot. They’ve all been really great and helpful, and that’s really worked out.

Maybe it’s a saving grace. I’m always probably six months behind learning about it all. So, if I knew maybe what I was supposed to know, maybe I’d have other views or would ask about something more, and maybe slow things down or get in the way. We’ve been really open about asking and finding out. And again, we try to be good people. We’ve got good people around us that have been really helpful and guided us along.

Then we get a feel for Nate. He’ll ask us certain things, and we’ll know that it’s kind of something he really wants to know about. He kind of asked us about his last couple universities he was considering, and he told us what he was thinking. And we did, too, and then he made his decision. So, we were really happy with that. Hopefully we’ve gotten him to the point where he’s become that way as a person, but it’s made it easier for us too, because he’s processed it well.

You got to worry nowadays about if he’s stressing out. But he’s a faith-filled young guy, and he leans on his brothers even in ways we probably don’t even know.

What is the beauty, and also the challenges of raising four mixed-race boys?

I grew up in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, right outside of Detroit. And I played at Wayne State University. And that was a real eye-opening, cultural kind of experience for me as well, having teammates from Detroit and not being from my background at all. But we kind of came together to play basketball and do that together. I learned so much. And having been in the Peace Corps, and traveled in Africa, and all the family relations.

That’s something I don’t think about too much. But I remember talking to each of them at one point, just saying, ‘If you ever have an issue, if you were ever to get pulled over while you’re driving, just do what you’re supposed to, and you know, you ask questions later and find out if you think something’s not right or wasn’t fair. But again, we’ve been blessed with their decisions and how things have come about, not to have to really worry about that, and really kind of just celebrate, of course, mom’s background and family and friends that we’ve known over the years from everywhere.

All our connections in Italy with mom’s mother from over there. They’ve gotten through all the other things that we kind of do as a family, but it’s a neat thing. It’s just kind of who they are. So, it must be interesting with other families as well, just given where they’re from, or what city they’re from, or their family and know how things go day to day. They’ve embraced it all themselves.

What has been the biggest challenge?

Luckily, they haven’t been pulled over and been speeding or gotten into trouble. We’re outside [Washington] D.C. in Northern Virginia and the Manassas area. We have such a diverse country now. Everyone’s a little bit of something, you know. I’m Irish and German, and my mom is from England. Grew up in a really interesting state like Michigan, with the city of Detroit and was brought up in a way by our parents just to be able to relate and interact with people, and that’s neat. Growing up where they did is a big part of it, too. They really experienced that in the public schools, and their teammates and classmates tend to come from everywhere, which has been great.

What does the NBA draft look like for your family and how proud will you be?

Just amazing. We’ve kind of taken things step by step. And you get a little bit older, and we had our children a little bit late. But Nate’s our youngest. Now, there’s a calmness. We are really taking it all in. Really enjoy your high school days, and your teammates and classmates. And he has had such great success, and then he has to leave them, and then he goes to Tennessee, and made great friends with the coaches and teammates.

He works on his craft like he needs to and likes to. This next thing is going to be just amazing… After a while, you just kind of think that you kind of belong there, because you’re just around it so much. It’ll be super, and it’s a great city [Brooklyn], great event. The league seems fantastic, with great athletes, a lot of examples and a lot of talent. I’m really happy for Nate, and he’s going to take it all in. And whatever platform he can get, he really wants to help other people and kids and teach and promote the game. It’ll be fun to watch him and really help him with what he’s doing, if we can too.

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