All eyes are fixated on Tennessee basketball’s standout freshman Nate Ament.
The projected lottery pick has yet to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft. Ament is expected to join the loaded class, headlined by a number of top freshmen.
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Following the Vols’ Elite Eight loss to Michigan, an emotional Ament laid out his plans.
“Talking to my coaches and my circle and see what the next step’s going to be,” he said on March 29.
Here are some dates to watch for Nate Ament’s NBA draft timeline.
NBA draft deadlines
Ament has until 11:59 p.m. on April 24 to declare for the NBA draft before the early entry player window closes.
The All-SEC freshman can still maintain his college eligibility, postponing a final decision until May 27. He could either remain in the draft class and forgo his eligibility, or return to Tennessee for his sophomore season.
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The NBA draft is split into two nights. The first round takes place on June 23, and the second round is on June 24.
Nate Ament NBA draft stock
Ament entered his freshman season at Tennessee with elevated draft expectations. The 6-foot-10 five-star high school recruit was the No. 4 player in the country in the 247Sports Composite.
When healthy, Ament has lived up to the hype. He shares a draft class other talented forwards, like BYU’s AJ Dybansta, Arizona’s Koa Peat, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson and Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg. Still, his stock throughout SEC play and the postseason floated between the middle and end of the lottery.
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ESPN has Ament inside the top 10 at No. 9, while Yahoo Sports slots him at No. 10 in its most recent mock draft. Other analysts, though, have wavered and placed him closer to outside of the lottery. Both USA TODAY’S Bryan Kalbrosky and Sports Illustrated released mocks with Ament at No. 15.
Nate Ament stats for Tennessee basketball
Ament’s freshman season fluctuated heavily. He averaged 16.7 points on 39.9% shooting from the floor, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals. He got off to a fast start against non-power conference opponents, then hit a wall with subpar shooting performances against Houston, Kansas, Syracuse and Illinois.
Ament solidified his stature as a top player in the country once he got to SEC play. For a significant stretch, the freshman averaged 21.6 points while shooting 43% from the floor and 39% from 3.
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An ankle injury marred his final month of action. Ament had to sit in the final two games of the regular season, and it was hard for him to catch a rhythm in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments.
He led the Vols to an SEC Tournament win over Auburn with 27 points, and helped them capture a third straight Elite Eight berth with 18 points in a win over Iowa State.
Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: When is Nate Ament’s deadline to declare for 2026 NBA Draft?
