Get to know Dai Dai Ames, the Kansas State transfer dubbed ‘the closer’

The recent departures of All-ACC guards Reece Beekman and Kihei Clark have left Virginia men’s basketball with a fresh backcourt entering the 2024-25 campaign. There had been a large amount of uncertainty about who would be running Coach Ron Sanchez’s offense this season, but after senior guard Jalen Warley entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning, it appears sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames has the inside track to be the team’s starting point guard.

Ames transferred from Kansas State in May after one year in Manhattan, Kans., where he averaged 5.2 points and two assists for the Wildcats during his freshman season. The Chicago native is an electrifying backcourt presence who figures to be a fan favorite from the second he steps on the court in John Paul Jones Arena.

With Ames set to debut for Virginia next week, he chatted with The Cavalier Daily about his decision to join the Cavaliers, plus his upbringing in Chicago, the origins of his nicknames and more.

Ben Istvan: Hey Dai Dai, I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me. How has your transition from Manhattan to Charlottesville been so far?

Dai Dai Ames: “The transition has been really good. The coaches and my teammates, they’re very friendly. So it’s been good getting to know them and stuff. They’re good people.”

BI: What ultimately led you to look for a new home after one year at Kansas State?

DA: “Really just new beginnings. A couple of the players left Kansas State, so I decided to come over here and just start over, start from scratch.”

BI: You committed to Virginia a little over two weeks after you entered the transfer portal. What led you to decide on U.Va. over other suitors?

DA: “Just how much they win. I want to be a part of a winning program. I want to play in the NCAA Tournament. So just them always making the NCAA Tournament and being on the top of the ACC, that made me want to come here.”

BI: Your first name is Darrin, which is also your dad’s name. Can you share the story behind how you got the nickname “Dai Dai”?

DA: “My friends started calling me that when I was young, so everybody just stuck with it and my family started calling me that. So it just stuck as a kid.”

BI: You are the youngest of four brothers. How was that dynamic growing up, and how did your brothers help you get to where you are today?

DA: “My brothers [were] very protective. They used to play sports, but they didn’t play for too long. So they were just basically taking care of me, making sure my head was on a straight path. Growing up in Chicago is tough, so they made sure I stayed out of the streets and all that and kept my head on a straight path playing basketball.”

BI: Chicago has produced a lot of great NBA players. Was any of your passion for basketball inspired by the Chicago basketball legends who came before you?

DA: “Yeah, Derrick Rose. I used to watch him a lot. When I was a kid, I had like four or five pairs of his shoes.”

BI: During your senior year at Kenwood Academy, you scored 65 points in a game against Southland College Prep. The mark set the record for single-game points at the Proviso West Holiday Tournament. What do you remember about that day?

DA: “Coming into the game, I think I hit like four threes in a row. Then next thing I knew I had like 20 points in the first quarter. So my coach had called a timeout, and he was like, ‘Yeah, just go for the record.’ I was like, ‘What record?’ He said the record was like 55 or something, so up until then I think I ended the half with like forty-something… I needed only like 20 more points to break the record, so that was my goal.”

BI: Mike Irvin, your former head coach at Kenwood, called you “the closer” while you were in high school. How did you earn that designation?

DA: “Towards the end of the games, I make big plays either for me or my teammates. I usually make the right play, so that’s why he started calling me ‘the closer.’”

BI: You really came into your own at the end of last year, shooting over 45 percent on three-pointers in your last 16 games. What was behind that improvement?

DA: “I was in a slump at the beginning of the year, so just me staying in the gym constantly, working on my shot. Even if I was missing, staying confident. And I think that gave me the confidence to move onto the game and start making more shots.”

BI: The backcourt on this year’s team looks wide open. What do you envision your role being on this team this year?

DA: “Really just anything the team needs me to do. If that’s scoring, passing, playing defense … Most importantly, I want to win.”

BI: As you near the start of your first season in Charlottesville, what are you excited for?

DA: “Really just to see how JPJ gets. I’ve heard that it gets loud, so I just want to experience that feeling, just to be able to play with my teammates, win with my teammates, be on a winning team and just compete.”

This interview took place before Tony Bennett’s retirement Oct. 18. It has been lightly edited for clarity. The recent departures of All-ACC guards Reece Beekman and Kihei Clark have left Virginia men’s basketball with a fresh backcourt entering the 2024-25 campaign. There had been a large amount of uncertainty about who would be running Coach Ron Sanchez’s offense this season, but after senior guard Jalen Warley entered the transfer portal Tuesday morning, it appears sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames has the inside track to be the team’s starting point guard.