By CHARLIE PARENT
NEW YORK — Nate Ament, a five-star wing in the class of 2025, has been one of the summer’s fastest risers, recently up to No. 3 on some major recruiting sites.
The 6-foot-9 Virginia native had a nice showing at the UA Next Elite 24 scrimmage Friday, displaying his three-level scoring, fluid athleticism and elite defensive upside.
Ament has offers from a Who’s Who of schools, including UConn, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Texas and others.
Ament mentioned he should have a later commitment date than some others, but isn’t certain on any timetable at the moment.
He said he’s looking forward to visits with blue-bloods Duke, UConn, Kentucky, North Carolina and “hometown” school Virginia. He will visit Kentucky Aug. 28 and Virginia Sept. 14, per 247Sports.com
Ament broke down those options to ZAGSBLOG:
Duke: “The name of course and the players they’ve had their [is appealing]. They’re a very versatile offense, [and] a fluid offense. They’ve sent a lot of kids to the NBA and it’s a good program to look at.”
Kentucky: “Mark Pope is a great guy. He’s very funny, he’s a player’s coach and understands the game. He obviously played there and I’m going to get up on campus soon. They’re [Pope] coming from BYU where they got up a lot of threes and are a very prolific offense as well. [For] someone like me that can get off the rim, push the floor and space the floor, it’s a great school for me.”
North Carolina: “It says a lot to be super close in his [Hubert Davis’] first year. [It’s] another prolific offense and he continues to grow players as well.”
UConn: “Everyone knows Dan Hurley’s on a mission and he’s bringing his best players along with him to do that and he’s definitely been getting them better. That’s certainly appealing to me as a player. The tenacity that his teams play with is something that will give someone like me or any other player a longevity in the NBA.”
UVA: “I have a great relationship with them for sure, more on the defensive side and that’s a part of my game I know I need to improve. If I go to a school like UVA, I know I’ll get better on the defensive end and continue to get better on offense as well.”
In terms of play style, Ament projects as an extremely versatile piece for any next-level offense with a 6-foot-9, 180 pound, frame. He’s currently coming off the wing, but says he can do a little bit of everything on the floor.
“As a a versatile player, it’s hard to pick a role,” he said. “I would say I’m a 3 right now, but feel like I can play a lot of positions between 2, 3, 4 or 5 even.”
Said ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla: “Nate’s stereotypical of a modern day big forward who has a multitude of skills. He’s effortless in his ability to get to the basket and he’s got great range on his shot. Being 6-10 and this skilled is no longer a surprise when you look at guys like Michael Porter in the NBA.”
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