KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Freshman forward Nate Ament of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is the SEC Co-Player of the Week, as announced Monday afternoon by the league office.
Ament shared the recognition with Auburn’s Keyshawn Hall. The SEC Freshman of the Week honor, which Ament has claimed thrice this season, went to Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr.
In Tennessee’s lone game last week, Ament led all scorers with a career-high 29 points in a 79-73 victory Saturday evening at No. 17 Alabama. He shot 10-of-20 from the field to set a career best in makes, plus notched a 2-of-3 clip from long range and a 7-of-9 tally at the line.
Ament became the sixth SEC freshman in the last 20 seasons (2006-26) to register 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a game, joining Tre Johnson, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ben Simmons (twice) and Terrence Jones. He recorded just the third such instance by a freshman in an SEC regulation game in that two-decade span, following Johnson and Simmons.
Furthermore, Ament became the first Division I freshman in nearly 19 years to record that stat line on the road against a ranked foe. The last to do so was Arizona’s Chase Budinger on Feb. 10, 2007.
A native of Manassas, Va., Ament scored 18 points in the second half, helping Tennessee rally back from an early 10-point deficit to collect the top-20 road triumph.
Ament is the fourth Tennessee freshman ever to win SEC Player of the Week, including the first in 14 years. He follows Jarnell Stokes (March 5, 2012), Tony Harris (Feb. 9, 1998) and Allan Houston (Feb. 11, 1990) on the elite list.
The 6-foot-10, 207-pounder is the second Volunteer to receive the distinction this season, following Ja’Kobi Gillespie, who did so on Dec. 22.
At least one Tennessee player has earned the plaudit in all but one (2020-21) of the last 21 seasons (2005-26). During head coach Rick Barnes‘ 11-year tenure (2015-16), 15 different individuals have now combined for 26 total SEC Player of the Week accolades.
Ament and Tennessee (13-6, 3-3 SEC) resume competition Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Athens, Ga., where they take on Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum, live on SEC Network.
