Tennessee has landed a commitment from California transfer Dai Dai Ames
The NCAA transfer portal has been chaotic in recent days, with major programs across the country seeing a wave of departures. The Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball have been no exception, as players like Jaylen Carey, Amari Evans, and JP Estrella have all entered the portal.
Now, head coach Rick Barnes is tasked with reloading the roster. Tennessee has already secured one transfer commitment from Tyler Lundblade, and they’ve now added a second addition as the portal cycle continues.
Dai Dai Ames Commits to Tennessee
Dai Dai Ames, a 6-foot-2 guard who played for California Golden Bears men’s basketball last season, recently entered the transfer portal and drew interest from programs such as Tennessee Volunteers men’s basketball, Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball, Xavier Musketeers men’s basketball, and Ole Miss Rebels men’s basketball.
Per On3, Ames has officially committed to Tennessee.
He’s coming off a standout season in which he averaged 16.9 points per game and earned All-ACC Third Team honors. One of his most memorable moments came when he knocked down a viral game-winning three-point play to defeat Notre Dame Fighting Irish men’s basketball. He also shot an impressive 37.6% from beyond the arc.
Before his time at Cal, Ames spent two seasons as a rotation player with Kansas State Wildcats men’s basketball and Virginia Cavaliers men’s basketball. He averaged 5.2 points per game as a freshman at Kansas State and improved to 8.7 points per game during his lone season at Virginia.
Ames also had another viral moment last year during a game against Providence Friars men’s basketball, when an opposing player struck him in the face following a brief on-court exchange.
Coming out of high school, Ames was a Jordan Brand All-American at Kenwood Academy in Chicago. He was ranked among the top-20 point guards nationally and was the No. 2 prospect in Illinois by major recruiting services. He even showcased his scoring ability with a 65-point performance in a high school game.
Tennessee is currently thin in the backcourt, making Ames a key addition as they continue to rebuild their roster. If he develops as expected, he has the potential to emerge as the team’s leading scorer next season. Replacing last year’s top scorer Ja’Kobi Gillespie won’t be easy, but Ames has the talent to step into that role.
Meanwhile, his former Cal backcourt teammate Justin Pippen has committed to Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball, leaving a significant void for the Golden Bears. The duo showed strong chemistry, and it remains to be seen whether Ames can recreate that success at Tennessee alongside Tyler Lundblade or any additional portal additions.
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