Cal’s Dai Dai Ames returns to Virginia to face No. 23 Cavaliers
Two familiar faces return to Charlottesville, Va., on Wednesday when Cal visits No. 23 Virginia for a late-night Atlantic Coast Conference game.
Golden Bears guard Dai Dai Ames started 26 of his 31 games in his lone season with the Cavaliers in 2024-25. First-year Cal assistant coach Isaiah Wilkins spent eight years at Virginia -- four as a player, two as a graduate assistant and two as an assistant coach -- and was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2017-18.
Both teams enter the 9 p.m. ET contest after weekend wins. In a game that tipped off at 11 a.m. ET on Saturday, the Cavaliers (12-2, 1-1 ACC) earned a decisive 76-61 victory at NC State.
The Golden Bears (13-2, 1-1) escaped with a controversial 72-71 home victory against Notre Dame on Friday that led to an ACC reprimand of Fighting Irish coach Micah Shrewsberry.
Ames, a 6-foot-2 junior, leads Cal with 17.6 points per game. He scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half against Notre Dame, including the game-winning four-point play with five seconds left that prompted Shrewsberry to chase a referee after the game.
"You can work on all the plays you want," Golden Bears coach Mark Madsen said of Ames' heroics. "You have to have players that go out there and make the shot."
Madsen pointed to another key stat from the victory: a season-low three turnovers by Cal.
"That's our best number of the year," Madsen said. "But we've had a lot of single-digit turnover games. These guys have a tight handle. Great vision."
Ames averaged 8.7 points and shot 39.7% from 3-point range last season at Virginia. He was scoreless in four minutes off the bench when the Cavaliers lost 75-61 to Cal last January in Berkeley, Calif.
Chris Bell (14.8 points per game), Justin Pippen (14.8) and John Camden (13.8) also are scoring in double figures for the Golden Bears, who have won 10 of their last 11 games. Cal lost its only true road game so far, falling 99-96 at Kansas State on Nov. 13.
Virginia is 8-0 at home. Sam Lewis scored a season-high 23 points against the Wolfpack in a game in which the Cavaliers led by as many as 27 points in the second half.
Seven different players have led Virginia in scoring in at least one game this season. Thijs De Ridder leads the team with 16.4 points per game, followed by Malik Thomas (12.3) and Chance Mallory (10.8). Jacari White (10.9) remains out indefinitely with a broken left wrist.
"We don't always have a first option, quite honestly," Cavaliers coach Ryan Odom said. "Certainly we run plays for specific guys at times, but it's more about moving the ball. The ball will find you and it's your turn, and Sam was ready (against NC State). His teammates found him and he knocked it down. We have tremendous confidence in Sam and his ability to make shots and make the right play."
The Cavaliers average 86.2 points per game. The Golden Bears are 13-0 when holding opponents under 90.
Cal's East Coast swing continues Saturday at Virginia Tech. Virginia hosts Stanford on Saturday afternoon.