Tennessee basketball lands commitment from transfer guard out of Cal
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Tennessee is desperate to finally cross that Elite Eight threshold and get to that first Final Four in program history, after three straight trips to the precipice of college basketball’s prime event.
Rick Barnes has gotten the Volunteers to the Elite Eight in each of the past three seasons, losing this past year to eventual national champion Michigan, with that lopsided Elite Eight loss coming at the Midwest Region final in Chicago. In that spirit, there was a Chicago connection to the big news that Tennessee fans got on Saturday afternoon, as California transfer guard and Chicago product Dai Dai Ames committed to the Volunteers for next season.
Ames’ agent told On3 of the 6-foot-2 junior’s intentions for the 2026-27 season. The well-traveled Ames averaged 16.9 points per game this past season for the Bears, which helped him earn a spot on the All-ACC Third Team. He made his 1 season at Cal count, also averaging 2.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 46.4% from the field.
This is a breath of fresh air for Barnes’ program, which has suffered a lot of losses in the portal since it officially opened on April 7. But the Vols can file this one under the addition heading, with a talent being added for next season in Knoxville instead of subtracted. In this case, Tennessee is getting one of the most productive guards that was still available in the portal.
Ames will be taking his first crack at the SEC after spending the past couple of seasons in the ACC. Before this past season at Cal, Ames played at Virginia in 2024-25, and he started his whirlwind of a college career with a season at Kansas State in 2023-24.
That whirlwind has taken Ames to Tennessee, which will gladly add his scoring ability to its backcourt for next season.
Tennessee will be taking yet another shot at the Final Four under Barnes, and it’ll have Ames in the mix now to help with that. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the top teams it believes have the best shot to win it all next April:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
