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Virginia Basketball Lands Commitment From Kansas State Transfer Dai Dai Ames

Matt Newton

Dai Dai Ames brings the ball up the floor during the Kansas State men's basketball game against BYU at Bramlage Coliseum.
Dai Dai Ames brings the ball up the floor during the Kansas State men's basketball game against BYU at Bramlage Coliseum. / Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports

Virginia strikes again in the transfer portal. UVA filled its final scholarship spot for the 2024-2025 season with another transfer pickup as Kansas State guard Dai Dai Ames committed to Virginia on Wednesday morning, as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

A 6'1" guard from Chicago, Illinois, Ames 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.

In what was ultimately his final game as a Wildcat, Ames scored a season-high 16 points and dished out five assists against Iowa in the NIT. He made six of his eight field goal attempts and knocked down four of his five threes. Though his season-long numbers weren't gaudy due to limited playing time as a true freshman, his strong play late in the season when his minutes increased suggests a very bright future.

Watch some highlights from his freshman season at Kansas State in the video below:

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.

UVA hosted Ames for an official visit last week and he made his decision on Wednesday morning, committing to Virginia with three years of eligibility remaining. Ames is Virginia's fifth transfer addition of the offseason, joining Florida State guard Jalen Warley, Duke forward TJ Power, San Diego State forward Elijah Saunders, and Vanderbilt forward Carter Lang, a Charlottesville native who is joining the Cavaliers as a walk-on next season.

Here's Virginia's current scholarship roster for the 2024-2025 season sorted by position and including details on each player's eligibility remaining:

PG: Jalen Warley (1 year), Dai Dai Ames (3 years) Christian Bliss (4 years)
SG: Isaac McKneely (2 years), Elijah Gertrude (3 years), Ishan Sharma (4 years)
SF: Andrew Rohde (2 years), Taine Murray (1 year)
PF: TJ Power (3 years), Elijah Saunders (2 years), Jacob Cofie (4 years)
C: Blake Buchanan (3 years), Anthony Robinson (4 years)

Scholarship spots used: 13/13

More Virginia Men's Basketball News and Content

Virginia Basketball Transfer Portal Contact Live Tracker
Virginia Basketball Adds Vanderbilt Transfer Forward Carter Lang
San Diego State Transfer Elijah Saunders Commits to Virginia Basketball
Duke Forward TJ Power Transfers to Virginia Basketball
Report: Virginia Hosting Kansas State Guard Transfer Dai Dai Ames
Former Virginia Wing Leon Bond III Transfers to Northern Iowa
Virginia Basketball Lands First Transfer Commitment From FSU Guard Jalen Warley

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.