Is Tennessee basketball home to the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft?

It's tough to accurately project this far out, but Nate Ament does fit that billing.

According to Yahoo, he is one of four players the publication thinks could be that top player selected.

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"Ament is a lean, fluid athlete bursting with potential who is fairly raw and has a lot of edges to smooth, Yahoo's article wrote. "But his ceiling is immense. He currently lacks strength but has the floor vision and playmaking chops of a guard with a smooth shooting touch. The other three prospects might be better now, but Ament has the long-term upside that teams will consider."

Other candidates listed were BYU small forward AJ Dybantsa, Duke power forward Cameron Boozer and Kansas guard Darryn Peterson.

Ament ultimately picked Tennessee over Duke, Louisville, Kentucky and Arkansas.

Coming off of his senior season, Ament earned Gatorade VA Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors. At the time of his selection, Ament had led Highland School to a 39-6 record.

He also earned a spot with the Hawks in The Throne Championships. His team was eliminated in the quarterfinals in a game he led the team in scoring with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

For Highland School, he averaged 18.9 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocks through 45 games, leading it to the Virginia Independent School Athletic Association Division I state championship.

He was named a McDonald's All American where he competed among the best recruits in the country. In the showcase game, he scored 12 points on 50% shooting from the field while making both of his 3-point attempts.

"We are ecstatic to welcome Nate Ament and his fantastic family to Rocky Top," Barnes said. "While everyone is aware of just how special a player Nate is, what really drew us to him throughout the recruiting process was the type of person he is. Nate is a high-character, family-oriented young man with a tremendous, caring support system around him who will mesh with our program from day one. He brings a dynamic skill set to the hardwood, embodying the attributes of a modern basketball player.

"Standing out with next-level positional size, he possesses the rare combination of the ability to dribble, pass and shoot with confidence and precision. Nate has a strong basketball IQ to go along with an excellent pairing of skill and toughness. He's the kind of versatile talent who can impact the game in a variety of ways and, in our eyes, he was the No. 1 player in the class. We are thrilled to have him in orange."

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