SEC school trending as favorite to land 5-star wing Nate Ament

Kentucky remains in the mix for five-star prospect Nate Ament, but one of the Wildcats’ conference rivals appears to have the edge coming down the home stretch.

Ament is down to five finalists and has taken visits to all of them: Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee. The 6-foot-9 wing, ranked No. 4 overall in the 2025 recruiting cycle, has pushed back his commitment timeline a handful of times already as a decision could come at any moment. And if that happens soon, the Volunteers might just end up being the choice.

Travis Branham of 247Sports put in a Crystal Ball pick on Thursday for Ament to commit to Tennessee. In ranking Ament’s five finalists, Branham has Kentucky in second behind the Vols. He adds that a commitment could come as soon as this weekend.

A new @247Sports favorite has emerged for the top available senior, Nate Ament.

VIP: https://t.co/J0cCM92UFR pic.twitter.com/0DExkzMoI4

— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 17, 2025

If Ament’s lengthy recruitment has taught us anything, though, it’s that things can change in an instant. He’s done a great job of keeping information tight to the vest. At various points over the last several months, all five of his top schools have been viewed as the frontrunner. That being said, this is the first time a respected reporter has logged a prediction for Ament.

Will Kentucky look to make one final push for the talented wing? As the 2025-26 roster stands right now, head coach Mark Pope has 12 pieces in place. It’s clear he’s looking to round things out with another addition or two, particularly someone who can score on the perimeter. Ament fits that billing, but will draw a high price tag with expectations of a large freshman role as a projected lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.

Ament played against Kentucky commit Jasper Johnson during Friday night’s Jordan Brand Classic in Washington, D.C., where he finished with 10 points (2-4 FG), five rebounds, and three assists in nine minutes of action.

Download the KSR/On3 App for all things KSR, including breaking news alerts, podcasts, schedules, and access to KSBoard, our message board.