KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Forward Nate Ament of the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team is the SEC Freshman of the Week for the sixth time in 2025-26, as announced Monday afternoon by the league office.
Previously, Ament earned the award Nov. 10, Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Feb. 2 and Feb. 9. He also garnered SEC Player of the Week acclaim Jan. 26, making this his seventh SEC distinction of the season.
Ament averaged 21.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game across a pair of Tennessee victories last week. He shot 40.0 percent (4-of-10) from long distance and made all 14 of his free-throw attempts.
To open the week, Ament poured in a career-high-tying 29 in an 89-66 victory Tuesday night against Oklahoma at Food City Center. He went 9-of-17 from the field, 3-of-7 from 3-point range and a perfect 8-of-8 at the line, adding six rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block.
Saturday, Ament registered 13 points and a team-best nine rebounds in a 69-65 road triumph at No. 19/18 Vanderbilt. He knocked down the game-winning shot with 54 seconds to go on a turnaround jump-shot.
This is the 28th SEC Freshman of the Week plaudit for a Volunteer since the award was reinstated in 2005-06, including the 16th in Rick Barnes‘ 11 years as a head coach.
Ament is the sixth player ever to win six SEC Freshman of the Week designations, joining Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. (seven in 2025-26), Alabama’s Brandon Miller (2022-23), Auburn’s Jabari Smith (2021-22), Florida’s Bradley Beal (2011-12) and Kentucky’s Brandon Knight (2010-11).
In addition, Ament and Acuff both own one SEC Player of the Week nods this season, making them the lone to freshmen in league history with seven-plus weekly honors in a single campaign.
The six SEC Freshman of the Week recognitions for Ament are twice as many as any other freshman in program history. Tobias Harris (2010-11) and Ramar Smith (2006-07) entered this year as Tennessee’s co-leaders with three each.
Ament and No. 22 Tennessee (20-7, 10-4 SEC) continue play Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET against Missouri, live on SEC Network from Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men’s basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
