College Basketball
Kentucky Basketball Recruiting: ‘Cats Zero in on Elite 2025 Wing Nate Ament
Ben Pfeifer graduated from the University of Missouri with degrees in Psychology and Journalism. He has worked in basketball scouting covering the NBA and the draft for over a half-decade, working for various outlets. Now, he covers the NBA, the draft and high school basketball.
Get to know Ben Pfeifer betterPublished16 Feb 2025
The volume keeps turning up on Nate Ament’s recruitment to Kentucky, as head coach Mark Pope attended his senior night on Friday. Pope’s visit came just days after Ament’s initial ‘Cats visit, evidencing Pope’s commitment to landing the 2025 five-star prospect.
Kentucky sits in a crowded final list of schools for Ament. They’ll battle with the likes of Duke, Alabama and Texas for his services. That attention is warranted, as the 6’10 Ament sports one of the class’s highest ceilings. Few players match his shooting potential with the fluidity to drive and defend in space.
Ament has had a few standout performances this season, notably a 22-point game on Jan 19 in a win over Darryn Peterson and Prolific Prep. He showcased his scoring skills, firing threes off the dribble and attacking the basket. Ament notably contained Peterson down the stretch to help his Highland squad take the win.
Nate Ament had the most impressive performance of Hoophall Classic leading Highland to a big upset over Prolific Prep, perhaps the best team in high school basketball. 22 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists for the near 7-footer, who is showing significant growth on both ends. pic.twitter.com/qG4p0pMPJ6
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) January 21, 2025
His defensive improvement this season helps raise his ceiling as a prospect, making him more than an offensive force. But his offense could thrive in Pope’s motion-heavy offense. Ament is a genuine movement shooter at his height with the processing chops to execute actions.
He’d fit with Kentucky’s other incoming freshmen, forming a highly skilled frontcourt pairing with Malachi Moreno. Acaden Lewis and Jasper Johnson will help set him up and create shots themselves, spacing the floor for Ament to score and drive.
Starring at Kentucky could help boost Nate Ament’s stock in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft, headlined by Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer. He’s talented enough to push for the top in the right situation and environment, and Kentucky could be that.
