Rwandan-American Prodigy Ament Progresses Ahead of NBA Draft

15 January 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Damas Sikubwabo

Highly rated Rwandan-American basketball talent Nate Ament has continued to fight his way up ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft.

On Tuesday night, the 19-year-old forward dropped 23 points including 10 in double overtime to lead his team, the Tennessee Volunteers to an 87-82 win over Texas A&M.

So far in the 2025/2026 college basketball season, he has experienced a slump, averaging 15.4 points and 6.4 rebounds, but analysts still laud his qualities.

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He is ranked number seven by ESPN for the 2026 NBA Draft, as he is one of the top young talents in the United States.

Ament was born to a Rwandan mother, Godelive Mukankuranga, and an American father Albert Ament.

The 2.06m athlete is praised for his versatility, smooth playing style, and scoring ability.

In an article published this month, ESPN described Ament as one of the most difficult prospects to peg, with NBA scouts exhibiting varying degrees of patience surrounding the first half of his season.

"NBA teams will watch closely to see if Ament can break out of his slump during the second half of the season," adding, however, that players of his size (6-foot-10) with perimeter skills are simply hard to find, and his upside as a stretch-four remains intriguing.

His team, the Tennessee Volunteers men's basketball club is the collegiate men's basketball program for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

The club competes in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)and the Southeastern Conference.

Club coach Rick Barnes, in a previous interview, said that everyone is aware of just what a special player Nate is.

"Nate is a high-character, family-oriented young man with a tremendous, caring support system around him who will mesh with our program from day one. He brings a dynamic skill set to the hardwood, embodying the attributes of a modern basketball player," Barnes said.

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