University of Tennessee Athletics
Photo by: Drew Garrison/Tennessee Athletic
Ament, Gillespie Among Wooden Award Preseason Watch List Selections
November 18, 2025 | Men's Basketball
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Two University of Tennessee men's basketball players, Nate Ament and Ja'Kobi Gillespie, are on the John R. Wooden Award Watch List, as revealed Tuesday afternoon by the Los Angeles Athletic Club.
Ament and Gillespie are two of 50 players who made the cut. They are among 14 selections from the SEC, while Ament is one of eight freshmen on the list.
Both Tennessee newcomers were previously selected as Preseason Second Team All-SEC picks by both the media and the coaches. Each one also made a Naismith Starting 5 list, with Ament on the Julius Erving Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List and Gillespie on the Bob Cousy Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List.
Additionally, Ament and Gillespie were both tabbed to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List and to the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List. Ament was also one of just 20 competitors on the NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List and one of 25 on the Wayman Tisdale Award Preseason Watch List.
Ament is a 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman forward out of Manassas, Va. He was a unanimous top-four prospect in the class of 2025 who peaked as high as second nationally in the On3 rankings. Ament is the 13th McDonald's All-American and third top-five recruit in Tennessee history.
Through four contests in 2025-26, Ament is averaging a team-best 19.8 points, a team-high 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He has posted at least 18 points and eight rebounds in all four outings, giving him twice as many such performances as any other Division I freshman. Ament has claimed both SEC Freshman of the Week honors the league has awarded thus far.
Gillespie is a 6-foot-1, 188-pound senior guard who hails from Greeneville, Tenn., and is in his first year at Tennessee. He was a Third Team All-Big Ten choice last year at Maryland, a Second Team All-MVC designee as a sophomore at Belmont and an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree in his rookie campaign.
In his first four appearances as a Volunteer, Gillespie is averaging 16.5 points, 6.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. He has amassed at least 17 points in three appearances, as well as at least six assists in three. Gillespie is shooting 40.6 percent (13-of-32) from 3-point on the year.
Ament, Gillespie and No. 20/17 Tennessee (4-0) resume competition Thursday at 7 p.m. when they take on Tennessee State to cap a five-game, season-opening homestand at Food City Center, live on SEC Network+.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
Ament and Gillespie are two of 50 players who made the cut. They are among 14 selections from the SEC, while Ament is one of eight freshmen on the list.
Both Tennessee newcomers were previously selected as Preseason Second Team All-SEC picks by both the media and the coaches. Each one also made a Naismith Starting 5 list, with Ament on the Julius Erving Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List and Gillespie on the Bob Cousy Award Top 20 Preseason Watch List.
Additionally, Ament and Gillespie were both tabbed to the Naismith Trophy Player of the Year Watch List and to the USBWA Oscar Robertson Trophy Preseason Watch List. Ament was also one of just 20 competitors on the NABC Player of the Year Preseason Watch List and one of 25 on the Wayman Tisdale Award Preseason Watch List.
Ament is a 6-foot-10, 207-pound freshman forward out of Manassas, Va. He was a unanimous top-four prospect in the class of 2025 who peaked as high as second nationally in the On3 rankings. Ament is the 13th McDonald's All-American and third top-five recruit in Tennessee history.
Through four contests in 2025-26, Ament is averaging a team-best 19.8 points, a team-high 9.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He has posted at least 18 points and eight rebounds in all four outings, giving him twice as many such performances as any other Division I freshman. Ament has claimed both SEC Freshman of the Week honors the league has awarded thus far.
Gillespie is a 6-foot-1, 188-pound senior guard who hails from Greeneville, Tenn., and is in his first year at Tennessee. He was a Third Team All-Big Ten choice last year at Maryland, a Second Team All-MVC designee as a sophomore at Belmont and an MVC All-Freshman Team honoree in his rookie campaign.
In his first four appearances as a Volunteer, Gillespie is averaging 16.5 points, 6.3 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.0 steal per game. He has amassed at least 17 points in three appearances, as well as at least six assists in three. Gillespie is shooting 40.6 percent (13-of-32) from 3-point on the year.
Ament, Gillespie and No. 20/17 Tennessee (4-0) resume competition Thursday at 7 p.m. when they take on Tennessee State to cap a five-game, season-opening homestand at Food City Center, live on SEC Network+.
To keep up with the University of Tennessee men's basketball team on social media, follow @Vol_Hoops on Instagram and X/Twitter, as well as /tennesseebasketball on Facebook.
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