NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who currently plays for the Phoenix Suns, is proving to be an asset for the Tennessee Vols on the recruiting trail.
Durant played for the Texas Longhorns in college before making the jump to the NBA. The Washington DC area native played for current Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes during his lone season with the Longhorns.
It’s been nearly two decades since Barnes coached Durant in college, which means many current high school recruits weren’t even alive at the time. That hasn’t stopped the Durant connection, however, from paying dividends for the Volunteers.
2025 four-star power forward Nate Ament, 6-foot-9 from Warrenton, VA, is down to five schools in his recruitment — Arkansas, Duke, Kentucky, Louisville, and Tennessee.
Ament, who is rated as the No. 4 overall player in the nation, told Swish Cultures that part of the reason the Vols are high on his list is because of the way Barnes coached Durant at Texas.
“I’ve been down there (Tennessee) twice now,” said Ament. “Rick Barnes, you know he coached (Kevin Durant), but he’s also another high-character guy, and all of these coaches are, but being able to see how he was able to push KD to be the player he is today and put him in positions to where he had to be that player is very enticing.”
Durant said in 2018 that he learned how to watch film and take basketball “seriously” thanks to his one season with Barnes.
“Back in college, I didn’t know how to watch film,” said Durant. “I didn’t know what I was looking at when I got into the film room. I didn’t know what a pick-and-roll coverage was. I didn’t really know how to work on my game individually and take it seriously. I learned all that stuff from Rick Barnes. It was key for me, because I was always just a kid enjoying [playing] ball. I didn’t really think it would be just a job. That transition from being a high school player and working my way to be a pro, I learned a lot in that year. Some kids need that.”
I’m so grateful,” added Durant while discussing his year at Texas with Barnes. “I realize that all that stuff was very, very important for me and my growth as a player, and if you have a good coach and a good staff, that’s vital for you. It was perfect for me.”
Barnes has certainly evolved as a coach since he had Durant at Texas in 2006-07, but at his core, he’s still the same coach that helped shaped Durant into the player he is today.
As for Ament, he’s expected to announce his commitment in late March or early April.
