Darrin “Dai Dai” Ames is a 6’1 point guard who attends Kenwood Academy in Chicago, IL. He played his grassroots with Mac Irvin Fire of the EYBL.

Rated as a four-star prospect, Ames is a smooth, lefty guard who can flat out score the basketball. He can especially fill it up from deep, both off the catch and off the dribble. Ames has an impressively tight handle that allows him to easily create shots off the bounce. His handle and ability to create off the dribble is probably his biggest gift as a basketball player. Ames frequently uses his shiftiness to rock defenders to sleep and knock down mid-range jumpers and to get to the bucket for floaters or euro-step finishes.

Overall, Ames is a crafty scorer at the point guard position who has shown signs that he is a more than capable passer as well, especially out of the pick and roll. Though he is primarily known for his knack for scoring the ball, he’s no let up on the defensive end. Ames competes on this side of the ball just as much as he does with the ball in his hands, even given his lack of size at his position.

Ames averaged 19 points and five assists for Kenwood Academy in his junior season. As a senior, he will look to lead a talented Kenwood team, who will again be one of the top teams in the state of Illinois.

In July, Ames announced his plans to attend Kansas State for college, making him the first commitment for the Wildcats 2023 class and the highest ranked recruit in recent years. Not too long after Ames’s announcement, fellow four-star guard RJ Jones committed to the school as well.

The Wildcats will be thrilled to welcome in one of the best guards in the country in the fall of ‘23. I believe that Ames will make an instant impact for Kansas State as a freshman because of his natural scoring and shooting talents.