Analyzing Nate Ament, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, and Thijs De Ridder in the Second Round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament

March 24th, 2026

By Alan Lu

This time around, I decided to take the time to watch Nate Ament and Tennessee play against Virginia in a second round game of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.  Ament is a highly touted prospect that could end up getting drafted in the lottery this year, and Virginia has had significant contributions from numerous newcomers this year.  It was a very close game, but Tennessee was able to pull away to get the win.  Here are my thoughts on how various players fared, as well as where they may stack up as prospects for the NBA.

Nate Ament had a solid showing in his team’s win over Virginia.  It didn’t look to be spectacular, but he made shots in a variety of ways, showed some ball handling skills, and he also defended well.  He didn’t quite shoot the three-ball as well as hoped and ran into some turnover trouble, but he made enough plays to help his team get the victory.

Ament excelled at scoring on tough shots off the dribble, as he showed a solid pull-up game, and showed a knack for using his body to draw fouls upon defenders to frequently get to the free throw line.  Plus, he also managed to drive patiently along the baseline to score around the basket.

He showed good touch for scoring out of the post, can make shots over smaller defenders, and has good strength for a player his size.  Ament also was able to make a corner three smoothly.  Sometimes though, he would take tough, contested shots that would lead to misses, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls, and he was streaky with his three-point shot.

Also, Ament showed some playmaking skills, as he can pass and handle the basketball, and he also can play the point in a pinch, as he showed the skills to be able to break the press.  He also is an unselfish player that can operate as a ball mover and will look to find the open man.  However, he would sometimes make careless mistakes, and he would occasionally throw hasty passes that would lead to turnovers.

He was able to chip in to get his fair share of boards in this game.  Ament also defended well.  He was able to use his length, athleticism, and timing to rotate to block a shot hard off of a drive.  He also fought through a screen and contested a shot off of a drive to force a miss.  On the downside, sometimes he would commit fouls when defending opponents off the dribble due to over-aggressiveness.

Overall, Nate Ament showed off a solid, versatile skill set in his team’s win over Virginia.  He didn’t seem to have the flashiest game, but he made solid plays on both ends of the floor. He is a versatile player that could end up being selected in the late lottery of the 2026 draft, and he could end up being a very solid player in the NBA.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie put forth a strong performance to lead Tennessee to a win over Virginia in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament.  Gillespie made three threes, and he had 21 points and 6 assists in this game.

Gillespie had a great game, especially offensively.  He showed a knack for making threes, as he can do so both off the catch and dribble.  He can split double teams, and showed a nice floater game. Gillespie also passed the ball very well, and he can quickly make drive and kick passes, as well as throw lobs to set up scores for his teammates.  On the downside, he would sometimes take tough shots that would occasionally miss, and he would sometimes over-dribble that led to a couple of turnovers, but Gillespie’s shot making and court vision was the main catalyst in helping Tennessee to generate offense.

He also was able to chip in to get a few boards.  Gillespie also defended well.  He was able to poke a ball away to get a steal. He also contested a three to force a miss.  On the other hand, he did commit a reach-in foul once due to over-aggressiveness.

In general, Gillespie played very well in his team’s win over Virginia.  He is a smart, poised floor general that did a great job of making plays offensively, and he had a strong all-around game.  He is an underrated prospect that could be a solid pick in the late first to the second round range, and he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA.

Thijs De Ridder also played well in his team’s tough loss to Tennessee.  De Ridder is a very skilled forward that can score the basketball in a variety of ways, and he also passed the ball well.  De Ridder showed the footwork and scoring touch to score out of the post, and he also shot the ball well from deep.  He also made an assortment of passes to consistently find the open man.  He did sometimes get his shots blocked when driving to the hoop, but generally, De Ridder’s ability to make threes, score out of the post, and move the basketball helped Virginia stay in this game.

He also was able to get his fair share of rebounds, and De Ridder hauled in multiple boards on both sides of the ball.  He was active defensively, and De Ridder was able to get his hands on a pass to help get a steal.  On the downside, he would sometimes play too aggressively, which would lead him to commit fouls.

Overall, De Ridder had a strong showing, as he scored 22 points, made 4 threes, and also had 5 rebounds in this game.  He did a great job of making shots to help his team on offense, and his basketball IQ and shotmaking prowess could enable him to excel as a role player at the NBA level.

Felix Okpara also played well in his team’s win over Virginia.  He is a very athletic, high-motor center that made highlight reel-worthy plays on both ends of the floor.  Okpara has good hands, as he would catch lobs to score on high-flying alley-oop dunks.  He excelled at scoring as the roll man, and he also was able to pass out of the post once.  On the downside, he would sometimes struggle to protect the basketball, which led to a turnover once.

He also was active on the boards, and Okpara was able to get a handful of rebounds in this game.  He also defended very well.  Okpara did a terrific job of blocking shots when defending out of the post as well as off the dribble, as he can stay with opponents on drives to the hoop, and he can wall off the paint to help his team force misses.

Overall, Okpara had a very good showing, as he excelled as an interior player in this game.  He is a second round prospect, and while his skill set may be a bit limited offensively, he plays his role very well and effectively, and he could end up being a solid rotational big man in the NBA.

Johann Grunloh had his ups and downs, but he was able to make some solid plays in the second half to help Virginia in this game.  Grunloh is an athletic, energetic interior defender that can contest and block shots to help his team protect the paint.  Late in the game, he was able to make a chase down block to stop an opponent from scoring on the break, as he was able to swat the shot to a teammate.  On the downside though, Grunloh would sometimes get outmuscled when defending in the post, and he was also quite foul prone at times.

He struggled to score consistently, as he had trouble making shots out of the post, especially early on.  But Grunloh was able to run the floor to score on a high-flying dunk on the break.  He also passed the ball well out of the post, and he did a good job of finding open teammates to get them the basketball.

Overall, Grunloh didn’t have his best game, but he showed some intriguing skills when he was on the floor.  He’ll need to continue to refine his game, but his athleticism, motor, and burgeoning skill set could enable him to be an effective rotation player at the NBA level.

Ugonna Onyenso had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Tennessee.  He was able to make some highlight reel-worthy plays on both ends of the floor. 

It’s clear that his calling card for the NBA is defense.  Onyenso is a terrific shot blocker, and he showed a knack for swatting shots when defending the post.  He also poked a ball away to get a steal.  On the downside, sometimes he would over-rotate or get beat on moves when defending in the post, which would lead his team to allow scores around the basket.

He also was showed some scoring touch to finish plays around the basket.  On the downside, Onyenso didn’t take many shots nor grab many rebounds in this game.  Overall, Onyenso is a very athletic, high-motor center that will need to improve offensively, but his athleticism, motor, and defense could enable him to end up being an effective, rotational big man in the NBA.

J.P. Estrella also played very well to help Tennessee get the win over Virginia. He is an athletic, high-motor big man that showed good scoring touch out of the post, and excelled at making hustle plays on both ends of the floor. 

Estrella showed he can make tough shots over defenders, and he also ran the floor and caught a lob to score on a high-flying alley-oop dunk.  He also intercepted a pass to get a steal.  Overall, Estrella wasn’t a featured member of their offense, but he played his role very well, and he is an underrated prospect that could end up being a solid rotational big man in the NBA.

Jaylen Carey did a great job of scoring and making shots off the bench to help Tennessee in this game.  He is a strong, mobile post player that showed shooting touch that went out to mid-range, and he also showed the strength and scoring touch to consistently score and draw fouls upon his opponents to get to the free throw line. He played very well in this game, and his low post scoring skills and physical profile could enable him to make it to the NBA someday.

Bishop Boswell also played well in Tennessee’s win over Virginia.  He is an agile, skilled combo guard that shot the ball really well from the outside.  He showed a knack for making open, spot-up threes off the catch, and he also showed that he can make passes off the dribble, as well as contest shots to help force some misses.  Boswell operates well as a shooter and secondary ball mover. He was quite effective at making plays in this game, and he could end up being a versatile, backup combo guard at the NBA level.

Malik Thomas had a decent showing in his team’s loss to Tennessee.  He did a good job of making threes, as he was able to knock them down smoothly both off the catch and dribble.  He also was able to pull up to make a mid-range jumper.  He also was able to get the ball on a cut and dribbled in and was able to get fouled to get to the free throw line.  Thomas is a skilled guard that can make shots in a variety of ways and score the basketball.  He didn’t really stand out in the other areas, but his shot making skills could at least allow him to compete for a roster spot in the NBA, and carve out a solid and lengthy career in professional basketball.

Chance Mallory played fairly well in his team’s tough loss to Tennessee.  He is a quick, agile playmaker that can score on tough drives to the hoop, and he also made a smooth corner three.  He played tough defense, as he would get his hands on passes to get deflections, and he would rotate to contest shots to force misses and get rebounds.  He wasn’t able to get an assist in this game, though. Still, Mallory is quick guard that has the skills to be a very productive collegiate point guard next year, and he could end up competing for a roster spot in the NBA someday.

Devin Tillis also played in this game.  He didn’t shoot very well nor take many shots, as he was held scoreless on offense.  On the other hand, Tillis passed the ball very well, as he was able to make an assortment of passes to set up scoring chances for his teammates due to possessing good court vision.  He didn’t get much playing time nor had much of an impact in this game, but his ability to pass the basketball has allowed him to be an effective bench player for Virginia this season, and Tillis could end up competing for a roster spot in professional basketball.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Ament and other various prospects fared in this game. Thanks for reading.