What Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said About Nate Ament’s Injury Following Loss Against Alabama
Photo By Cole Moore/Rocky Top Insider
Tennessee basketball wing Nate Ament suffered a right leg injury in the Vols’ 71-69 loss against Alabama on Saturday night. Ament right leg got rolled up on while he was on the ground trying to corral a lose ball with 7:42 remaining in the first half.
Ament was down on the ground shortly before walking off the court on his own power but straight to the Tennessee locker room. He returned to the game to begin the second half but played just over two minutes, making one basket, before exiting and not returning.
Rick Barnes did not have any injury update or a timetable of return on Ament after the game. When asked whether Ament re-aggravated the injury after returning or whether it was just too uncomfortable for him to play, Barnes provided a confusing answer.
“No, I think when he hurt his knee a little bit,” Barnes said. “But I did think he did tweaked the foot he had turned at Missouri, that ankle. He tried. If he can’t go, he can’t go. There’s no one tougher than him.”
Ament rolled his right ankle early in Tennessee’s 73-69 loss at Missouri on Tuesday night. It’s unclear exactly what Barnes is saying, but my interpretation is that he suffered a new knee injury while also re-aggravating the ankle he injured at Missouri. But, again, that is simply my interpretation.
More From RTI: Everything Tennessee HC Rick Barnes Said Following Loss Against Alabama
Ament is Tennessee’s second leading scorer on the season, entering the rematch with Alabama averaging 17.9 points per game on 41.7% shooting from the field and 32.8% shooting from three-point range. Ament also leads Tennessee 6.5 rebounds per game as well as 2.5 assists per game.
The 6-foot-10 wing has beeb even better in SEC play where he’s averaging 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Ament was phenomenal in the Vols’ win at Alabama last month, totaling 29 points, seven rebounds and three assists in the 79-73 victory.
Tennessee held up without Ament for much of the evening but could not get to the finish line, trailing for only 24 seconds in the two-point loss. The Vols scored just 10 points in the final nine minutes of the game while Alabama scored on seven of its final eight possessions to complete the comeback victory.
The Vols have a quick turnaround before returning tot he court on Tuesday night at South Carolina. Tipoff from Colonial Life Arena is at 6 p.m. ET. The SEC Network is broadcasting the game.
