Nate Ament, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara of Tennessee invited to NBA draft combine

Tennessee basketball players Nate Ament, Ja'Kobi Gillespie and Felix Okpara have all received invites to the NBA draft combine.

They join a field of over 70 potential participants for the NBA's major draft prospect evaluation event from May 10-17 in Chicago.

Ament followed expectations after his freshman season and declared for the 2026 NBA Draft on April 23. Most draft analysts expect the 6-foot-10 forward to go in the late lottery range. USA TODAY's Bryan Kalbrosky has him going at No. 14. The Ringer's latest mock draft slots Ament a spot ahead at No. 13.

ESPN released a two-round mock draft on April 28. There, Ament is projected to go at No. 10 with Gillespie at No. 57 and Okpara selected with the final pick of the draft.

Gillespie in his only season at Tennessee, averaged 18.4 points per game. Ament averaged 16.7 points and 6.3 rebounds. Okpara anchored the top defense in the conference and made the All-SEC defensive team, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game. While Ament will likely forgo his remaining three years of eligibility to turn pro, Gillespie and Okpara exhausted their eligibility.

Arizona forward Tobe Awaka also received a combine invite. He averaged 9.3 points and 9.1 rebounds last season, and played his first two season with the Vols.

Wynton Jackson covers high school sports for Knox News. Email: wynton.jackson@knoxnews.com

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee's Nate Ament, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara invited to NBA combine