Cal basketball transfer combo guard Dai Dai Ames is visiting Tennessee basketball this weekend, a source told RTI Thursday morning. Adams is one of two players the Vols have visits lined up with along with Loyola (Chicago) big man Miles Rubin. Amens is also testing NBA Draft waters this offseason.
Ames is coming off a strong junior season at Cal where he averaged 16.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and two steals per game. The 6-foot-2 guard was an efficient scorer, shooting 46.4% from the field, 37.6% from three-point range and 85% from the foul line.
The 6-foot-2 guard was the leading scorer on a Cal team that went 22-12 and made it to the NIT a season ago. His 25.2% usage rate was second on the Golden Bears behind Justin Pippen.
Ames started his career at Kansas State before transferring to Virginia as a sophomore and Cal as a junior. He averaged 5.7 points in his freshman season and 8.7 points in his sophomore season before his breakout junior season with Cal.
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Ames ranks as a four-star and the No. 47 player in the transfer portal according to 247sports. On3 ranks him as a four-star and the No. 83 player in the transfer portal while EvanMiya ranks Ames as a four-star and the No. 152 player in the portal.
The Vols need to add multiple guards to their roster this offseason after losing Ja’Kobi Gillespie to graduation as well as Bishop Boswell and Amari Evans to the transfer portal. Gillespie and Boswell made up Tennessee’s starting backcourt while Evans played 14.4 minutes per game off the bench.
Six Tennessee players have entered the transfer portal this offseason with Clarence Massamba, Boswell and Evans big men Jaylen Carey, J.P. Estrella and Cade Phillips.
Freshman forward DeWayne Brown and freshman guard Troy Henderson have both announced intentions to return to Tennessee next season while Ethan Burg has made not indications on his future plans. Neither is the case for freshman Nate Ament who seems likely to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft but could opt to return.
As things currently stand, Tennessee has seven scholarships to work with as it feels out its roster for the 2026-27 season.
