University of Tennessee head men’s basketball coach Rick Barnes announced on Apr. 15 the signing of Dai Dai Ames, a senior guard and Third Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection from California. Ames joins the Volunteers with one year of eligibility remaining.
Barnes said, “We are excited to welcome Dai Dai and his family to the Tennessee basketball program. He is an extremely competitive and coachable individual who really gels with our culture. Dai Dai can make shots in late-clock situations, which is a skill we were looking for in the portal. He is a crafty lefty with a strong frame who can finish at the rim through contact, as well as a superb movement shooter and an elite midrange scorer. All of that makes him a great fit for our system. Dai Dai really wants to be part of a winning team and contend for championships.”
Ames had an impressive junior season at Cal, averaging 16.9 points, 2.2 assists, and 2.0 rebounds per game while shooting over 46 percent from the field and nearly 38 percent from three-point range across all starts last year. He helped Cal achieve its highest win total since the 2015-16 season.
Over his college career spanning Kansas State, Virginia, and Cal, Ames has scored double figures in more than half his games played and achieved several notable statistical milestones including multiple high-scoring performances and strong free throw percentages.
Ames was highly ranked coming out of Kenwood Academy in Chicago as a consensus four-star recruit with significant prep accolades such as being named to the Jordan Brand Classic All-American team.
He becomes Tennessee’s third transfer commitment this offseason following Tyler Lundblade and Miles Rubin; three high school recruits will also join next season’s roster.
