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Virginia Basketball Announces Official Signings of Five Incoming Transfers

UVA men's basketball officially announced the transfer signings of Jalen Warley, TJ Power, Elijah Saunders, Carter Lang, and Dai Dai Ames.

Matt Newton

Virginia men's basketball announces the signings of transfers Jalen Warley, TJ Power, Elijah Saunders, Carter Lang, and Dai Dai Ames.
Virginia men's basketball announces the signings of transfers Jalen Warley, TJ Power, Elijah Saunders, Carter Lang, and Dai Dai Ames. / Virginia Athletics
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Tony Bennett announced on Friday the official signings of five transfer additions to the Virginia men's basketball program: Florida State guard Jalen Warley (Philadelphia, PA), Duke forward TJ Power (Shrewsbury, MA), San Diego State forward Elijah Saunders (Phoenix, AZ), Vanderbilt forward Carter Lang (Charlottesville, VA), and Kansas State guard Dai Dai Ames (Chicago, IL).

“I’d like to thank my staff for working hard to bring in this exciting group of transfers” Bennett said. “They will be a fun group to coach. We added five talented student-athletes, who bring size, athleticism, shooting and depth to our program. Most importantly, they are high character young men who come from great families that value a degree from the University of Virginia.”

Jalen Warley | 6'7" Guard | Florida State | Eligibility: one year

Jalen Warley was Virginia's first transfer commitment of the offseason, pledging to the Cavaliers on May 4th following an official visit. A 6'7", 205-pound guard, Warley played in 96 games over the last three seasons at Florida State, including 58 starts. This past season, he started 32 of 33 games, averaging a career-high 7.5 points to go along with 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. At 6'7", Warley will be a versatile asset on the defensive end with his ability to guard multiple positions, while his 2.5 assist-to-turnover ratio from last season proves his abilities as an offensive playmaker, which will be vital as Virginia tries to replace Reece Beekman with a committee of guards.

What Tony Bennett said about Jalen Warley: “We are excited to add Jalen to the Virginia basketball family. Jalen is a talented, athletic guard, who can guard multiple positions and brings valuable ACC experience to our program.”

What Jalen Warley said about coming to Virginia: “How we handle change defines our character and shapes our destiny. As I step into this new community, I bring not just my skills, but a relentless determination to excel and elevate our team to new heights.”

TJ Power | 6'9" Forward | Duke | Eligibility: three years

Power's journey to become a Cavalier has been a long time coming, as Virginia was once the frontrunner to land his commitment out of high school back in 2022. The 6'9" sharpshooter from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts took multiple visits to UVA and spoke extremely highly of his relationship with Tony Bennett, but as his recruiting stock elevated to the point where he became a five-star prospect and a top 25 recruit in the country, the Blue Bloods inevitably came calling and Power ultimately committed to Duke, with Virginia finishing as the unfortunate runner-up in his recruitment.

Power had plenty of major conference suitors in the transfer portal, but ultimately decided on UVA, announcing his commitment on May 6th. TJ Power immediately changes the complexion of Virginia's roster for next season, filling in the team's biggest need as a sharpshooting stretch four. He shot 35.7% from beyond the arc on 42 total attempts, but those numbers should improve with more playing time and more shots. Power comes to UVA with three years of eligibility remaining.

What Tony Bennett said about TJ Power: “We are thrilled TJ is finally a Cavalier. We recruited him out of high school and are excited about what he brings to our program. TJ is a terrific shooter and passer, is competitive and has a great feel for the game.”

What TJ Power said about coming to Virginia: “I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play at UVA and to bring my edge and skill set to the culture in place there. I’m looking forward to getting on Grounds and getting to work.”

Elijah Saunders | 6'8" Forward | San Diego State | Eligibility: two years

A 6'8", 225-pound forward from Phoenix, Arizona, Saunders played in 53 games over the last two seasons at San Diego State, including 21 starts. This season, Saunders started 21 of 37 games and averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes per contest. He shot 32.2% from beyond the arc on 3.3 three-point attempts per game. His best game came in a win over Washington as he tallied 16 points and went 3/3 from beyond the arc. He also had eight points and a couple of threes in San Diego State's win over Yale in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Saunders announced his commitment to Virginia on May 6th, just a few hours after TJ Power did the same.

What Tony Bennett said about Elijah Saunders: “Elijah is a tough competitor who brings skill, athleticism, physicality and NCAA tournament experience to our team. He’s a versatile scorer and great competitor.”

What Elijah Saunders said about coming to Virginia: “Virginia has everything I was looking for in a program. Coach Bennett and the staff are amazing. I love their plan to develop me and prepare me for the rest of my career. I’m so excited to be a part of the family and can’t wait to get to work!”

Carter Lang | 6'9" Forward | Vanderbilt | Eligibility: three years

Carter Lang returns to his hometown of Charlottesville after one season at Vanderbilt in which he appeared in 24 games and made seven starts as a true freshman, but played just 11.6 minutes per game and averaged 1.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. A former four-star recruit per ESPN (three-star on 247Sports) coming out of St. Anne's-Belfield School in Charlottesville, Lang was once rated the No. 4 overall prospect in the state of Virginia and was nominated for the 2023 McDonald's All-American Game. The 6'9", 235-pound forward averaged 18.3 points, 14.9 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game in his senior season at STAB. Lang, who committed to UVA on May 7th, will join Virginia's roster as a walk-on with three years of eligibility remaining.

What Tony Bennett said about Carter Lang: “Carter is a welcome addition to our team. I’ve known him since he was a youth basketball player here in Charlottesville. He has a strong work ethic and will provide competition and depth with his size in the frontcourt.”

What Carter Lang said about coming to Virginia: “Having grown up in Charlottesville and attending UVA basketball games, I could not be more excited for this opportunity. I’m looking forward to developing my game under Coach Bennett and his staff. Let’s get to work!”

Dai Dai Ames | 6'1" Guard | Kansas State | Eligibility: three years

The final piece to Virginia's transfer haul was Dai Dai Ames, a 6'1" guard from Chicago who appeared in 31 games as a true freshman this season at Kansas State, including 16 starts. In a little over 20 minutes played per game, Ames averaged 5.2 points and 2.0 assists per game and shot 32.9% from three on 2.3 attempts. Ames started the last 13 games of the season and played his best basketball down the stretch, scoring in double figures in three of the last five games.

Ames was a consensus four-star prospect coming out of high school and was a top 20 point guard in the class of 2023 and the No. 2 overall recruit in the state of Illinois. As a senior at Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago, Ames averaged 21.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.4 steals per game and was named a 2023 Jordan Brand Classic All-American. Ames committed to Virginia on May 16th.

What Tony Bennett said about Dai Dai Ames: “We are pleased to add Dai Dai to our basketball family. Dai Dai is a highly-competitive and athletic guard. His experience as a first-year player in the Big 12 will serve him well in the ACC.”

What Dai Dai Ames said about coming to Virginia: “I am extremely excited to become a student-athlete at UVA. "I’m truly blessed to be able to bring my talent to this wonderful school with so much history. I can’t wait to be a part of such an amazing program and create a bond that will last forever! I think this is where I belong, and I will be ready to show my hard work and my dedication on and off the court.”

More Virginia Men's Basketball News and Content

Dante Harris Withdraws From Transfer Portal, Returning to Virginia as Walk-On
Virginia Turns Attention to 2025 Recruiting Class Following May Transfer Haul
Virginia Basketball: Complete Overview of UVA's Offseason Roster Moves
Virginia Basketball Finalizes Scholarship Roster for 2024-2025 Season



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Matt Newton

MATT NEWTON

Managing Editor and Publisher, CavaliersNow Email: mattnewton@virginia.eduTwitter: @mattynewtssWebsite | LinkedIn | Instagram Matt Newton is the managing editor and publisher at CavaliersNow. He has been covering UVA athletics since 2019 and has been the managing editor at CavaliersNow since launching the site in August 2021. Matt covers all things UVA sports, including Virginia basketball and football news and recruiting, former Wahoos in the pros, and coverage of all 23 of the NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. A native of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, Matt grew up a huge Philadelphia sports fan, but has also been a UVA sports fanatic his entire life thanks to his parents, who are alums of the University of Virginia. Matt followed in his parents' footsteps and attended UVA from 2017-2021, graduating with a degree in Media Studies and a minor in Economics in May of 2021.