Tennessee basketball’s recent defensive progress and developing depth have helped the Volunteers steady themselves after early challenges.
Assistant coach Steve McClain said much of the team’s long-term ceiling still hinges on the continued growth of freshman Nate Ament.
After nine days of practice leading into a win over Louisville, McClain said the Volunteers showed the type of defensive connectivity they had been searching for.
“You saw a group that was really connected,” McClain said. “The bigs, the guards, everyone doing their job. It’s a pretty simple thing when you really look at it when everybody’s doing their job.”
That defensive cohesion against the Cardinals, McClain said, came from preparation and accountability across the lineup.
“You’re always looking for progress,” he said. “It is a process, especially when you look at the number of new players we have in this program this year.”
That process has been especially visible with Ament.
The true freshman has drawn heavy defensive attention in ways he has not experienced before.
McClain said the challenges facing the freshman go far beyond scoring totals.
“The average fan evaluates Nate off one thing. Points,” McClain said. “They don’t see the passes. They don’t see the plays that he makes off the ball.”
According to McClain, Ament’s biggest step forward has been learning where his offense fits within the flow of the game.
“Where I see his growth, he’s starting to figure out where his shots are coming and now he’s shooting them with confidence,” he said. “Everybody wants that to happen overnight. It doesn’t happen overnight.”
McClain noted that Ament has faced pressures few freshmen encounter, becoming a primary focus on opponents’ scouting reports.
“You’re talking about an 18-year-old young man that everybody built up that now has been the attention of every team,” he said. “That’s not an easy thing to do to be a freshman and you’re here on the scouting report.”
McClain said despite that pressure, Ament’s demeanor has remained unchanged.
“What I love about him, whether it’s going good or bad, you have no idea because his expressions never change,” he said. “He’s locked in and he only cares about one thing, winning.”
Even through those challenges, Ament’s work ethic has matched his mindset.
“Thursday was their day off and they’re all in the gym working on their own,” he said. “Nate is for sure one of those guys. He was in here twice yesterday.”
Tennessee turns its attention to Gardner-Webb. The teams square off Sunday at 3 p.m.
