Tennessee's Nate Ament Dominates Rutgers in Volunteers' Win

Many analysts are torn when it comes to Ament. Some believe he needs more work on scoring off the dribble and from deep, while others believe his frame and athleticism raise the floor with an impressive skill set. On Monday, the Virginia native blew critics out of the water.

Ament was knocking down three off the dribble, taking step-backs and moving off the ball for catch-and-shoot triples. Inside the arc, he was scoring as well, working defenders in the post but also pushing the ball in transition for some tough layups.

Ament showed flashes of a skinnier Paolo Banchero with his body control and smooth stroke. On the other end, his height and 7-foot-3 wingspan make him a capable defender in and out of the paint.

Ament is currently in competition with Caleb Wilson, Mike Brown Jr. and others for the projected No. 4 pick in the draft. He is one of many freshmen putting up big numbers in college basketball this season, averaging 19 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.2 steals on 48-33-78 shooting splits.

Some concerns about Ament's game are his consistency from beyond the arc and turnovers. Although he shot 4-for-6 against Rutgers, he only hit 6-of-24 threes before that game against poor competition. He's also been averaging 2.7 turnovers per game, which ranks in the bottom six in the SEC.

There are plenty of things to clean up as the season goes along, but Ament is a part of a defensively intense Tennessee squad, which will help develop his game. The Volunteers rank 13th in KenPom with a 92.4 defensive rating (fourth in the country).