Duke Basketball Recruiting: Will Nate Ament Pick Duke Over Kentucky, Louisville, & Tennessee?

Duke has the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, led by twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, but one unsigned five-star forward could move the needle on the Blue Devils’ national championship aspirations. Nate Ament has delayed his college decision and Duke is reportedly at the top of a short list of teams in contention for the future NBA Draft pick. Kentucky, Tennessee, and Louisville are also in the running for Ament, who is the top remaining uncommitted player in the 2025 class.

The 2024-25 Duke Blue Devils fielded one of the more loaded teams in recent memory. Few college teams stack great veteran talent and few have multiple high-level, impact freshmen. Duke has both, fueling a comfortable run to the Final Four that still felt disappointing given their other-worldly potential.

The Blue Devils project nearly as strong next season, as Jon Scheyer’s 2025 recruiting class ranks atop 247’s board at the moment. That class features the vaunted Boozer twins (Cameron and Cayden) and two other five-star wings — Shelton Henderson and Nikolas Khamenia. They could land another blue-chip forward still.

Nate Ament, the top-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2025 class, still hasn’t made his college decision. Duke lands in his final list of schools and On3’s crystal ball has the Devils as Ament’s most likely landing spot. It would be another enormous score for Scheyer, adding another possible top-five pick to his squad.

He dropped 23 points, 11 rebounds, 3 rebounds and 3 blocks against a strong Long Island Lutheran team in the Throne High School Basketball Tournament. Despite a close loss, Ament nearly dragged a far less talented team to a win over one of the nation’s best rosters. He’s known as an oversized 3-point sniper, but Ament didn’t make a three against LuHi, showcasing other aspects of his game.

A versatile offensive toolkit

Given his team’s lack of NBA talent, Ament acts as a full-time initiator. He might be a bit overtaxed in this role because of his turnover tendency, but this experience will serve Ament well at the next level. He has a bit of burst to beat defenders, but his fluidity, deception and change of direction are all rare for a 6-foot-9 wing.

Nate Ament on-ball creation pic.twitter.com/97IWxdEjY5

— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) March 31, 2025

Against Long Island Lutheran, Ament turned the ball over five times compared to his two assists. His opponent sent long, aggressive defenders at Ament, challenging his handle and slighter frame. We saw Ament struggle at points in the game to release ball pressure and double teams, especially considering his lack of teammate gravity.

He did flash a bit of passing aptitude, as Ament has quite a bit of vision and passing skill on the ball. On a few occasions, Ament took on multiple defenders and found open shooters, showcasing an ability to pass in traffic that will elevate his college and NBA ceiling.

Nate Ament passing in traffic vs luhi pic.twitter.com/jAQjXRl5A9

— bjpfclips (@bjpfclips) March 31, 2025

His excellent length and fluidity help Ament wreck on defense, adding tons of value as an off-ball defender. Ament needs more strength to bump more physical players on the ball, but his turnover generation will help him impact winning on defense right away.

Should Ament commit to Duke?

Ament could very well be a one-and-done prospect, no matter where he lands. One of the best prospects in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft class that has a chance to be one of the most impactful classes in the past 25 years.

If Ament wants to maximize his touches at the college level, Duke shouldn’t be his choice. He would fit cleanly next to Cameron Boozer and the rest of their recruits as a deadly off-ball shooter and part-time initiator, but he won’t have as many on-ball chances.

Other teams on his list, like Kentucky and Louisville, offer a cleaner pathway to primary usage, something Ament might want to show NBA teams he’s capable of at the college level. If Ament wants to chase a National Title in what will likely be his only college season, choosing Duke could be his optimal route.

The performance of Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach could give Ament the confidence to take his talents to Durham, as both prospects have played themselves into potential lottery picks alongside surefire No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. For now, Ament has postponed his college decision, which is interesting given Duke was in the hunt for a National Championship. 

With his college decision looming, the final push in recruiting Ament could be the difference between a deep NCAA Tournament run and a national title for the Blue Devils.