Rick Barnes updates Nate Ament’s injury after Tennessee loss

Nate Ament left Tennessee basketball‘s loss against Alabama with an injury. Then he returned. Then he left again.

Vols coach Rick Barnes did not have a firm update on the superstar freshman following the 71-69 loss to Alabama, but indicated Ament hurt multiple parts of his right leg.

“I think when he hurt his knee a little bit, but he did tweak his foot he had turned at Missouri, that ankle,” Barnes said. “He tried, and if he can’t go, he can’t go because there’s no one tougher than him.”

Ament had two points on 1-for-5 shooting against the Crimson Tide. He scored his only points on a second-half jumper at the 18:04 mark, 11 seconds before he returned to the bench for good.

Ament was hurt midway through the first half when an Alabama player rolled onto Ament’s left knee as he reached for a loose ball following a turnover from Alabama guard Amari Allen. UT trainer Chad Newman evaluated Ament on the floor. He left with 7:42 before halftime.

Ament spent time in the tunnel stretching with strength coach Garrett Medenwald, but did not return in the first half.

The freshman warmed up with his teammates before the second half and returned to the lineup after halftime. He exited again soon after with 17:53 to play and was ruled doubtful to return. He spent the rest of the game on the Tennessee bench.

Ament had at least 20 points in six of his past 10 games. Ament, who averaged 17.9 points entering Saturday, had scored in double figures in every game since he had nine against Texas on January 6.