Among the few five-star college basketball prospects in the 2025 class, the highest-rated uncommitted player (according to 247sportsComposite) is Nate Ament, a 6’9 forward from Virginia. He’s an incredibly skilled offensive player, showing great range on the floor, and has the natural tools and measurables to be a surefire future NBA player.
Previously, Ament had 11 teams in the running. Now, it’s down to five, featuring some of the biggest names in all of college basketball. Here’s a look at how he’d fit with each situation from a roster and overall program standpoint.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Coach John Calipari will always get 5-star talent, no matter where he’s at. This Arkansas team needs plenty of talent in a tough SEC, including likely having to replace leading scorer Adou Thiero, who’ll likely go to the NBA after this year. The team has a pair of 5-star commits in guards Darius Acuff and Meleek Thomas, but right now, they need a frontcourt addition badly. Ament would solve those issues and give them a perfect replacement for Thiero.
Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils have the best power forward in all of College Basketball this season in Cooper Flagg, set to go No. 1 in the next NBA Draft. He’ll be gone after this year but the team already has another top prospect to be in his place in 5-star commit, Cameron Boozer. Plus, 5-star combo forward Nikolas Khamenia is part of the 2025 class. Ament is simply too good not to get minutes, and they could play small ball alongside Boozer in the frontcourt. But would that be the best situation for him to maximize Ament’s potential?
Kentucky Wildcats
Kentucky will be losing both of its power forwards (Andrew Carr and Ansley Almonor) after this season and has been after a number of forward prospects in the class. They have top-30 center commit Malachi Moreno and a pair of top-30 ball-handlers (Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis) as well but are looking for the missing piece in its 2025 class. They’ve been after Ament hard, so expect them to have a real shot in this recruitment.
Louisville Cardinals
Coach Pat Kelsey recently landed his first-ever 5-star commit earlier in point guard Mikel Brown Jr. Ament would be another great piece to a roster that has to rebuild after losing so many seniors. One player that could come back is Kasean Pryor, the starting forward before suffering a season-ending lower-leg injury. If he’s back, then the Cardinals will have to play small again to make it work, but if Pryor moves on, then Ament can come in and be the next focal point of the offense.
Tennessee Volunteers
Coach Rick Barnes had landed five-stars before and had success, including Keon Johnson and Jaden Springer getting drafted. With several leading scorers being seniors, there’s going to be a need for someone like Ament to come in and have a big impact out of the gate. He can play in the SEC and, unlike some of the other options on this list, wouldn’t have to worry about not being a focal point of the offense alongside other five-star players who could rise above him in the pecking order.
