Virginia men's basketball made its fifth move of the offseason Wednesday afternoon, as former Kansas State freshman guard Dai Dai Ames announced his transfer to the Cavaliers. Ames is claiming the last scholarship spot at the University of Virginia and has three years of eligibility remaining after playing just one year in Manhattan, Kansas, before entering the transfer portal in April.
The 6-foot-1 guard attended Kenwood Academy High School in Chicago and was the No. 83 ranked player in the 2023 class before joining the Wildcats. Ames appeared in 31 games for Kansas State last season, starting just over half of them, and averaged 5.2 points and two assists per game.
Ames will be a key piece for coach Tony Bennett next season, and the Cavaliers' collective guard group will provide the offensive excitement that was missing in 2023-24. He scored in double figures eight times during his freshman campaign, showing off his explosiveness off the dribble that, when combined with his ability to knock down perimeter shots, made him difficult to defend. More than 40 percent of his field goals came from beyond the arc.
Efficiency difficulties surfaced as the freshman adjusted to the college game, but Ames only shot 35.3 percent from the field and 32.9 percent from 3-point range on the season, but improved with experience. did. Over the last 16 games, the guard's shooting splits have ballooned to 46.3 percent from the field and 45.5 percent from 3-point range. Numbers close to those numbers would be welcome for a Cavaliers offense looking to rekindle in 2024-2025. Virginia's new recruits will certainly play a role in carrying out that task.
Ames will join a backcourt that has a lot of vacancies when it comes to playing time next season. Sophomore guard Isaac McNeely is expected to be Bennett's starter, but uncertainty still swirls around who else will be in the starting five. Junior guard Jalen Worley transferred from Florida State earlier this month, while returning players like junior guard Thayne Murray, sophomore guard Andrew Rohde, and freshman guards Elijah Gertrude and Christian Bliss also We'll be fighting for a few minutes. Ames' role could end up being anywhere from a fixed starter to a limited bench member. The next few months will determine where he falls on that spectrum come November.