Dean and Markel Families Men’s Head Basketball Coach Tony Bennett announced Friday (May 31) the addition of five transfers to the Cavaliers’ program.
Dai Dai Ames (Chicago, Ill./Kansas State), Carter Lang (Charlottesville, Va./Vanderbilt), TJ Power (Shrewsbury, Mass./Duke), Elijah Saunders (Phoenix, Ariz./San Diego State) and Jalen Warley (Philadelphia, Pa./Florida State) are transferring to Virginia. Ames, Power, Saunders and Warley have signed financial aid agreements, while Lang is joining the Cavaliers as a preferred walk-on.
Dai Dai Ames
Ames is a 6-1, 185-pound guard who played one season at Kansas State. He averaged 5.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 31 games (16 starts) for the Wildcats in 2023-24. He scored in double figures in eight games, including a season-best 16 points at Iowa on 6 of 8 field goals and 4 of 5 3-pointers.
“We are pleased to add Dai Dai to our basketball family,” Bennett said. “Dai Dai is a highly-competitive and athletic guard. His experience as a first-year player in the Big 12 will serve him well in the ACC.”
Ames starred at Kenwood Academy from 2021-23, helping the Broncos to 54 wins and back-to-back Illinois Class 4A Super-Sectional titles during his junior and senior seasons. He scored more than 1,500 career points in his prep career, including a school-record 65-point outburst over Southland College Prep in 2022. The former Jordan Brand Classic All-American was a consensus four-star recruit, averaging 21.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.4 steals during his senior season in 2022-23. Ames shot 51.3 percent from the floor, 32.6 percent from 3-point range and 81.9 percent from the free throw line. He was named First Team Class 4A All-State in 2022 and 2023.
“I am extremely excited to become a student-athlete at UVA,” Ames said. “I’m truly blessed to be able to bring my talent to this wonderful school with so much history. I can’t wait to be a part of such an amazing program and create a bond that will last forever! I think this is where I belong, and I will be ready to show my hard work and my dedication on and off the court.”
Carter Lang
Lang is a 6-9, 235-pound forward who played one season at Vanderbilt. The former St. Anne’s-Belfield (STAB) star averaged 1.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 24 games (7 starts) for the Commodores in 2023-24. Lang scored a season-high eight points against Boston College (11/29/23) and grabbed 11 rebounds against Presbyterian (11/7/23). He pulled down eight or more rebounds in four games.
“Carter is a welcome addition to our team,” Bennett said. “I’ve known him since he was a youth basketball player here in Charlottesville. He has a strong work ethic and will provide competition and depth with his size in the frontcourt.”
Lang averaged 18.3 points, 14.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks during his high school career at STAB. The 2023 McDonald’s All-American nominee was named first-team All-State in Virginia as a junior and senior.
“Having grown up in Charlottesville and attending UVA basketball games, I could not be more excited for this opportunity,” Lang said. “I’m looking forward to developing my game under Coach Bennett and his staff. Let’s get to work!”
TJ Power
Power is a 6-9, 215-pound forward who played his freshman season at Duke. He saw action in 26 contests, averaging 2.1 points and shooting 35.7 percent from 3-point range and 85.7 percent from the free throw line. Power netted a season-high nine points vs. La Salle (11/21/23) and seven points against North Carolina (3/9/24). Power was named to the ACC All-Academic Team.
“We are thrilled TJ is finally a Cavalier,” Bennett said. “We recruited him out of high school and are excited about what he brings to our program. TJ is a terrific shooter and passer, is competitive and has a great feel for the game.”
Power is a former 247Sports five-star recruit, top player from the state of Massachusetts and McDonald’s All-American nominee. He averaged 23.6 points and shot 45 percent from 3-point range in the final EYBL session in Kansas City in the summer of 2022, including 41 points, 15 rebounds and five assists against Houston Hoops. Power was named the 2022 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals as a junior at Worchester Academy.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to play at UVA and to bring my edge and skill set to the culture in place there,” Power said. “I’m looking forward to getting on Grounds and getting to work.”
Elijah Saunders
Saunders is a 6-8, 225-pound forward who played two seasons at San Diego State. In 2023-24, he played in all 37 games (21 starts) and averaged 6.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game. Saunders shot 41.9 percent from the floor, 32.2 percent from 3-point range and 96.0 percent (24 of 25) from the free throw line. He reached double figures in scoring in six contests, including a career-high 16 points against Washington (11/19/23) in the championship game of the Continental Tire Main Event.
“Elijah is a tough competitor who brings skill, athleticism, physicality and NCAA tournament experience to our team,” Bennett said. “He’s a versatile scorer and great competitor.”
Saunders was a four-star recruit who scored over 1,000 points at Sunnyslope High School. He was a McDonald’s All-American nominee after averaging 22.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists as a senior in 2021-22. Saunders guided Sunnyslope to the state championship as a junior, averaging 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists.
“Virginia has everything I was looking for in a program,” Saunders said. “Coach Bennett and the staff are amazing. I love their plan to develop me and prepare me for the rest of my career. I’m so excited to be a part of the family and can’t wait to get to work!”
Jalen Warley
Warley is a 6-7, 205-pound guard who played three seasons at Florida State. He averaged 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 33 games (32 starts) as a junior in 2023-24. Warley reached double figures in scoring in nine contests, including a career-high tying 23 points at Louisville (2/3/24), 19 against Colorado (11/21/23) and 18 versus Virginia Tech (3/13/24) in the ACC Tournament. Warley averaged 6.1 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 95 career games (58 starts) at FSU.
“We are excited to add Jalen to the Virginia basketball family,” Bennett said. “Jalen is a talented, athletic guard, who can guard multiple positions and brings valuable ACC experience to our program.”
Warley starred at Westtown High School, graduating in 2021. The McDonald’s All-American nominee averaged 15.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 7.0 assists as a senior. He earned Pennsylvania All-State First-Team and was named the best player in the state by MaxPreps.
“How we handle change defines our character and shapes our destiny,” Warley said. “As I step into this new community, I bring not just my skills, but a relentless determination to excel and elevate our team to new heights.”
“I’d like to thank my staff for working hard to bring in this exciting group of transfers” Bennett said. “They will be a fun group to coach. We added five talented student-athletes, who bring size, athleticism, shooting and depth to our program. Most importantly, they are high character young men who come from great families that value a degree from the University of Virginia.”
