"Duke got more games on ESPN than the Lakers": Former NBA star Austin Rivers pushes Nate Ament towards commitment as bidding war continues

Nate Ament, the No. 4-ranked prospect in the Class of 2025 per 247Sports, remains uncommitted as top schools like Duke and Kentucky hope to get his signature. Former Blue Devil Austin Rivers did his part to try and push Ament toward his alma mater.

Ament appeared on an episode of Off Guard with Austin Rivers, which was released on The Ringer NBA YouTube channel on Saturday. During the interview, Rivers gave his recruiting pitch to sell Ament on the Blue Devils.

"I can tell you we we we want you, we want you that's clear. (Duke head coach) Jon (Scheyer) already told me to press you, all right. It's fully on. Listen, come to the show. They got more games on ESPN than the Lakers. They got more games on national television than the Knicks. It's the truth." (14:41-14:59)

Rivers, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, believes that Nate has a good list of programs after his signature. He mentioned the likes of Kentucky, Arkansas, Cal, and Tennessee. But Rivers claims Duke basketball is so way ahead of the rest:

"We're so way out in front it's not even funny anymore. It's so comedy what we have created. We are the standard. We're the highest standard. We're the best show in college basketball. That's why the baddest players on the planet go there. You either run with it or run from it." (14:08-14:27)

The Duke Blue Devils already secured fellow five-star prospects Cameron and Cayden Boozer. They've also got highly rated forwards Nikolas Khamenia and Shelton Henderson.

But as of Friday, Rivers' Duke was lagging in terms of the bidding war for Ament. According to fans bidding on Fanstake, a platform that allows fans to actively influence an athlete's recruitment by pledging financial support, the Blue Devils were in third place behind Louisville and Kentucky. Cardinals fans have already raised over $80,000 for Ament's recruitment.

Five-star prospect Nate Ament named finalist for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year award

No. 4 ranked prospect Nate Ament has been named as one of the five finalists for the 2024-25 MaxPreps boys basketball National Player of the Year award. The list features other top-ranked prospects, including AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Brayden Burries, and Darryn Peterson, who won the Naismith Player of the Year award on Friday.

Nate Ament has been outstanding this season, leading the Highland Hawks to a 38-5 record. However, he faces tough competition, with other players also making a strong case for the award. The winner will be announced on April 8.