BYU Basketball Recruiting: Cougars Pursue Star Wing Nate Ament

BYU continues to pursue five-star 2025 Nate Ament, reported on Thursday by 247 Sports’ Travis Branham. A strong summer performance established Ament as one of the class’s top prizes. Teams covet 6’9 wings with Ament’s shooting stroke and defensive potential and after losing Mark Pope to Kentucky, the Cougars would love to secure a top talent for their program.

Playing on the Adidas 3SSB circuit with Team Loaded Virginia, Ament averaged 15.4 points, 7.7 boards, 1.9 assists and 2.6 stocks (steals + blocks) per game on 59.2% true shooting. Though the Adidas circuit often doesn’t garner the spotlight of a Nike EYBL, Ament proved himself one of the top talents in the nation.

Ament’s Elite Shooting Could Make Him An Immediate Contributor

Shooting is Ament’s feature skill; few players his age and height boast the jumper profile he does. Across his 20 AAU games this Summer, Ament converted 41.7% (40/96, 0.43 three-point attempt rate) of his triples all while shooting an excellent 85% (0.36 free-throw rate) at the line. He’s efficient in all play types, shooting above 40% on catch-and-shoot and off-dribble threes.

Ament effortlessly shoots over smaller defenders, with enough dribbling comfort to create space for himself to shoot off the dribble from three (40.6%) and from the mid-range (45.5%). He’s more than an off-dribble shooter, comfortable running off of screens to pull off the catch from NBA range. Ament’s jumper can be a bit slow, but defenders struggle to contest the height of his release.

Shot versatility marks a key indicator for future shooting development and Ament ticks that box with red pen, especially given his height. The jumper opens up the rest of Ament’s game and will aid his slashing development especially. He’s not physically developed yet, as it’s easy for defenders to bump Ament off of his spots as a driver. Ament converted a pedestrian 51.5% of his shots at the rim with a 30.2% rim frequency, which is fairly low for a full-time perimeter player of his stature.

Ament’s excellent fluidity and movement skills beget tons of upside attacking off of the bounce. Even if he’s not a finished product, Ament flashes high-end off-dribble creation, separating with a functional handle and slinky driving.

Few 6’9 players drive as low to the ground as Ament does and that flexibility and bend could aid him in developing more explosion as he ages. He’ll probably struggle with elite athletes at the next levels, but Ament is more than fluid and coordinated enough to thrive as a second-side driver as he adds muscle.

Ament’s feel for the game is positive on the wing, even if he’s not a point guard-level passer (0.74 assist-to-turnover ratio). He’ll connect offensive action with quick-hitting passes off of the catch, especially from the middle of the floor, showcasing ample processing speed and floor-reading ability. Given Ament’s immense skill and soft touch with both hands, it’s possible he develops some live-dribble passing goodness at some point in his career.

Ament’s Defensive Potential Remains Untapped

Those same physical limitations show up on the defensive end, as strong drivers bump Ament off of his spot on the ball. More concerningly for his long-term defensive utility, he’s a bit clunky laterally, often struggling to slide his feet and open his hips against quicker players. Ament’s strengths on the defensive end come off of the ball, but he’ll have to guard the ball at some point.

Despite some of the aforementioned weaknesses, Ament’s off-ball defense, notably his weak-side rim protection, suggests high defensive upside with added strength and explosion. Ament’s range and instincts let him swoop in from the weak side to block and contest shots as a secondary rim protector. He’ll shoot passing lanes and make plays with his length as well, generating turnovers at a high level for his age.

BYU landed a top prospect in Egor Demin and another four-star in Kanon Catchings for the upcoming season. Both of those prospects are long, tall and skilled and Ament certainly fits their type. He wouldn’t arrive on campus until the Fall of 2025, but Ament is an elite talent worth pursuing heavily.

Elite programs like Duke, UConn, Kentucky and North Carolina among others offered Ament for good reason. Outside of 2025’s big three (Cam Boozer, AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson), nobody in the class rivals Ament’s NBA upside. Tall, shotmaking wings with Ament’s touch, skill level and defensive tools are rare and there’s clear room to progress physically. He’s the kind of player with program-changing potential, especially one like BYU.