Braedan Lue

One of three Golden Bears to play in all 34 contests, including the only one to start each of them.
Averaged 16.9 points, 2.2 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game, while shooting 46.4 percent on field goals, 37.6 percent on 3-pointers and 85.0 percent on free throws.
Paced the roster in scoring, minutes and made field goals (209), while ranking second in assists and free-throw attempts (120), plus co-second in made free throws (102).
Finished third on Cal in steals, field-goal percentage (min. 35 FGA), 3-point percentage (min. 35 3PA) and made 3-pointers (56), as well as fifth in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.27).
Among 13 Power Five competitors (min. 15 GP) to shoot at least 46.0 percent from the floor, 50.0 percent inside the arc, 36.0 percent from 3-point range and 85.0 percent at the line.
Tied for No. 69 in the country in made field goals and tied for No. 100 in free-throw percentage.
Tied for fourth in Division I by posting two outings with double-digit made free throws and zero misses.
Ranked seventh in the ACC in free-throw percentage, eighth in total points (576), ninth in scoring average, ninth in total minutes (1,081), No. 12 in field-goal percentage, co-No. 12 in made free throws and No. 13 in minutes average.
In ACC-only competition, placed second in the league in free-throw percentage (92.4; 61-of-66), co-No. 11 in made field goals (105), No. 13 in scoring (16.3) and No. 14 in made free throws (61).
Tied for the fifth-best single-game 3-point percentage (min. 6 3PA) by an ACC player with an 85.7 percent (6-of-7) ledger.
Also tied the best 3-point percentage (min. 5 3PA) in a road game by any player in the ACC with an 83.3 (5-of-6) tally.
One of two players in the ACC with multiple instances of 10-plus made free throws and zero misses and/or with three showings of seven-plus makes and no misses, both alongside SMU’s Boopie Miller.
Connected on 28 straight free-throw attempts in an eight-game stretch from 12/21/25 to 1/24/26.
Scored at least 11 points on 29 occasions (co-ninth in ACC), at least 15 in 21 appearances (co-seventh in ACC), at least 20 in 12 games (co-ninth in ACC), at least 25 in five outings (co-sixth in ACC) and at least 29 twice (co-sixth in ACC), all of which led Cal.
Tallied three-plus assists 12 times, four-plus seven times and five-plus twice, with the former two marks good for second on the roster and the latter third-best.
Drilled multiple 3-pointers 16 times, notching three-plus long-range makes nine times, four-plus four times and five-plus twice, ranking co-third among Golden Bears in the former two areas and solely third in the latter two.
Had multiple steals five times to place co-third on the team and logged three-plus twice to rank second, as well as grabbed multiple rebounds on 11 occasions, with four-plus in five games and six-plus in two.
Recorded the co-highest single-game point total (31) by anyone on the roster, as well as the third-best mark (29).
Went 10-of-10 from the line on two occasions, giving him the top two single-game tallies in made free throws and in makes without a miss by a Golden Bear.
Earned the most single-game minutes (44:43) by any player on the team, as well as tied for the most steals in a contest (five) and tied for the third-most made 3-pointers (six).
Logged one of the two instances of a Cal player hitting two 3-pointers without a miss, plus amassed two of the three outings—they came in back-to-back November contests—with three-plus makes and only one miss, ranking second (6-of-7) and third (5-of-6) on the team.
Accounted for eight of the 11 performances of nine-plus made field goals by a Golden Bear, including tying for the top single-game count (10).
Ended the season with 16 points in an NIT second-round matchup with St. Joseph’s (3/22/26).
Scored 27 points versus Florida State (3/11/26) in the second round of the ACC Tournament, shooting 9-of-18 overall and 4-of-8 on 3-pointers.
Set a career high with 31 points in the regular season finale at Wake Forest (3/7/26), notching a 9-of-18 mark from the floor, a 3-of-8 clip from deep and a perfect 10-of-10 ledger at the line, tying career bests in free throws both made and attempted.
Had 18 points and three assists in a victory at Georgia Tech (3/4/26), shooting 6-of-11 on field goals, 2-of-3 on 3-pointers and an unblemished 4-of-4 on free throws.
Totaled 17 points and a career-best seven rebounds in a triumph over Stanford (2/21/26) to complete a season sweep.
Registered 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, four assists and two steals in a win at Boston College (2/14/26).
Produced 23 points in a career-high 45 minutes of action at Syracuse (2/11/26) and set a season best with 10 made field goals.
Dropped a then-career-high 29 points in a victory against Georgia Tech (2/4/26), going 9-of-13 from the field to tie a then-season best in makes, 3-of-4 from deep and 8-of-10 at the line to match a career high in attempts.
Scored 14 points and shot 5-of-6 at the stripe in a win at Miami (1/31/26).
Logged 11 points and a then-career-best six rebounds in a triumph at rival Stanford (1/24/26).
Amassed 19 points and three assists in a victory against No. 14/15 North Carolina (1/17/26), shooting 8-of-14 from the field and 3-of-5 beyond the arc.
Poured in 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a 3-of-5 ledger from deep, at Virginia Tech (1/10/26).
Scored 18 points and went 10-of-10 at the line, setting career bests in both makes and attempts, at No. 23 Virginia (1/7/26).
Recorded 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting to tie a then-season high in makes, including going 4-of-9 on 3-pointers, and had three assists in a triumph over Notre Dame (1/2/26), scoring seven points in the final 11 seconds of a one-point decision.
Started ACC competition versus No. 16/13 Louisville (12/30/25) with 11 points, four assists and a perfect 4-of-4 clip at the line.
Concluded non-conference action with 21 points, two steals and a 6-of-7 free-throw ledger against Columbia (12/21/25).
Scored 20 points in 37 minutes versus Northwestern State (12/13/25), finishing 3-of-6 from 3-point range.
Had 14 points, five assists, four rebounds and three steals against Dominican (12/9/25).
Produced a 15-point performance versus Pacific (12/6/25).
Put up 25 points in a win against Utah (12/2/25), shooting 9-of-14 from the field to match a then-season best in makes and going 7-of-7 from the line to set then-career bests in both makes and attempts.
Scored 14 points in a victory over No. 18/19 UCLA (11/25/25) in the Empire Classic finale.
Tallied 16 points, four rebounds and four assists versus Sacramento State (11/21/25).
Recorded a third straight outing with at least 23 points by scoring 25 at Kansas State (11/13/25), adding a co-career-high seven assists and a career-best five steals, plus went 9-of-13 from the field to tie a then-season high in makes and shot 5-of-6 on 3-pointers.
Dropped 24 points against Cal State Fullerton (11/10/25), notching a 6-of-7 clip from 3-point range to set a career high in makes and shooting an unblemished 4-of-4 on free throws.
Scored 23 points versus Wright State (11/6/25), finishing 8-of-13 from the floor, 3-of-5 beyond the arc and a perfect 4-of-4 at the line.
Started the year with 18 points on 9-of-15 shooting against CSU Bakersfield (11/3/25), adding four assists.

2024-25 – SOPHOMORE (at Virginia)

Participated in 31 of 32 games, registering 26 starts, and missed one contest with an injury.
Averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 assists, 1.4 rebounds and 0.8 steals in 25.7 minutes per contest, while shooting 46.0 percent from the field, 39.7 percent from 3-point range and 82.9 percent at the stripe.
Ranked second on the team in made field goals (103) and free-throw percentage (min. 20 FTA), plus co-second in starts.
Placed third among Cavaliers in assists, field-goal percentage (min. 50 FGA) and 3-point percentage (min. 20 3PM), as well as fourth in scoring, steals, total blocks (11), made 3-pointers (31), assist-to-turnover ratio (1.58; min. 1 APG) and minutes, along with co-fourth in appearances.
One of 15 Power Five players (min. 15 GP/20 3PA/20 FTA) to post a 46/39/82 shooting line, including one of just three underclassmen (freshmen/sophomores), alongside Duke's Kon Knueppel and Michigan State's Jase Richardson.
Scored in double figures on 14 occasions to rank co-second on the team, with 12-plus 10 times to sit co-third, 15-plus five times to place third and 18-plus thrice to finish third.
Dished out three-plus assists 12 times, four-plus in six contests and five in two outings, with the former two marks third-most on the roster and the latter co-third.
Hit multiple 3-pointers eight times to place co-third on the team, with three-plus on three occasions.
Posted two steals five times, two blocks twice and three-plus rebounds five times, grabbing four-plus boards twice.
Tied for the highest single-game scoring total (27) by a Cavalier and had the top single-game tally for made field goals (11).
Averaged 14.8 points per game over the final 10 contests of the regular season, scoring 10-plus points in each of them and 18-plus in three, while shooting 56.2 percent from the field, 44.4 percent from deep and 82.4 percent at the line.
Capped the regular season with a 10-point performance at Syracuse (3/8/25).
Amassed 18 points, three rebounds and three assists in a then-career-best 37 minutes in a win over Florida State (3/4/25), logging a 6-of-11 clip from the field and a 3-of-4 mark on 3-pointers.
Notched 12 points and went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc versus No. 13/14 Clemson (3/1/25).
Posted 14 points, three assists and two steals in 36 minutes in a victory at Wake Forest (2/26/25).
Registered 12 points on a 5-of-6 mark from the floor at North Carolina (2/22/25).
Scored 15 points on a 6-of-12 field-goal clip against third-ranked Duke (2/17/25), chipping in three assists.
Had 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, along with a co-season-high five assists, in 36 minutes in a triumph at Virginia Tech (2/15/25).
Poured in 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, including a 4-of-6 clip from long range to tie his then-career high in 3-point makes, in a victory over Georgia Tech (2/8/25), adding four boards.
Dropped a then-career-high 27 points in 35 minutes a win at Pittsburgh (2/3/25), shooting 11-of-16 from the field to set a career best in makes and going 3-of-6 from long range.
Scored 11 points on 5-of-8 field-goal shooting against Virginia Tech (2/1/25).
Finished with eight points, four assists and a 2-of-3 long-range ledger versus Notre Dame (1/25/25).
Notched eight points, a then-co-career-best five rebounds and four assists against No. 21/22 Memphis (12/18/24).
Did not play versus Bethune-Cookman (12/12/24) due to an ankle injury.
Tallied 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including hitting both his 3-pointers, versus Holy Cross (11/29/24), chipping in three rebounds.
Logged 10 points, a season-best five assists and two steals against Manhattan (11/26/24) and went 2-of-3 from deep.
Scored 12 points versus No. 11/9 Tennessee (11/21/24) in the Baha Mar Championship opener, shooting 5-of-6 from the line to tie then-career highs in both makes and attempts.
Posted 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals against Coppin State (11/11/24) in his first start as a Cavalier, shooting 5-of-8 from the field, including 2-of-3 beyond the arc.

2023-24 – FRESHMAN (at Kansas State)

Appeared in 31 of 34 games, notching 16 starts and missing two contests due to injury.
Averaged 5.2 points, 2.0 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game, while shooting 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Ranked second on the team in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.24; min. 1 APG) and third in 3-point percentage, as well as fourth in assists, made 3-pointers ( 23) and free-throw percentage (69.8), plus fifth in steals average and made free throws (30).
Scored in double digits on 10 occasions, with 12-plus points thrice and 14-plus twice.
Distributed three-plus assists 12 times, with four-plus in six contests, five-plus in three and six-plus in two, with the first three marks all third-most among Wildcats and the last good for co-second.
Notched multiple steals in four games, with three in two, as well as grabbed three-plus rebounds five times.
Connected on multiple 3-point attempts six times, with three-plus makes on three occasions.
Amassed the highest single-game assist total (seven) by any player on the roster, as well as tied for the second-best mark (six).
Concluded the year with a season-best 16 points, five assists and three boards in the NIT opener at Iowa (3/19/24), shooting 6-of-8 from the field and 4-of-5 from downtown to set season highs in both makes categories.
Began the Big 12 Tournament with 10 points and three assists in a second-round victory over Texas (3/13/24).
Had 10 points and three assists at No. 14/15 Kansas (3/5/24), shooting 2-of-4 on 3-pointers.
Put up nine points on 3-of-5 long-range shooting in an overtime triumph against West Virginia (2/26/24), plus grabbed three rebounds.
Set a season high with five rebounds at Texas (2/19/24).
Scored eight points on 3-of-5 shooting, including a 2-of-3 ledger from beyond the arc, at No. 21/19 BYU (2/10/24).
Registered 11 points and went 4-of-4 on free throws at fourth-ranked Houston (1/27/24).
Did not play at Texas Tech (1/13/24) or in the overtime win against ninth-ranked Baylor (1/16/24) because of an ankle injury.
Tied a season high with three steals in the victory at LSU (12/9/23), chipping in three assists.
Produced 11 points in 33 minutes of action against Oral Roberts (11/28/23).
Scored a then-season-best 14 points versus Central Arkansas (11/22/23), adding three rebounds, three assists and a 2-of-5 long-range clip.
Notched 10 points, four assists and three rebounds in a season-high 36 minutes in the overtime win against Providence (11/17/23) to begin the Baha Mar Hoops Bahamas Championship, plus went 5-of-6 at the line.
Dished out a season-est seven assists versus South Dakota State (11/13/23) in his first collegiate start.
Tallied 12 points, six assists and a season-high three steals against Bellarmine (11/10/23), finishing 3-of-5 from long range.

HIGH SCHOOL

Consensus four-star, top-70 recruit who placed as high as No. 58 in ESPN’s national rankings.
Finished No. 64 in the 247Sports Composite and No. 67 in the Rivals Industry Ranking, with both placing him second in Illinois and top-15 among point guards.
One of 32 players nationally chosen for the prestigious Jordan Brand Classic All-American Game, he was also a nominee for the McDonald’s All-American Game.
Two-time IBCA Class 4A First Team All-State pick, as well as a two-time Chicago Sun-Times First Team All-City and All-Area designee.
Amassed over 1,500 points in his prep career, including setting a school record with 65 on 28-of-41 shooting against Southland College Prep on Dec. 26, 2022, during his senior year.
Averaged a team-best 21.4 points, team-high 4.3 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game as a senior, while shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 81.9 percent at the stripe.
Scored 15-plus points 20 times during a senior campaign in which he was a consensus 4A First Team All-State pick by the IBCA, AP and (Champaign) News-Gazette, among others, plus a Chicago Sun-Times First Team All-State choice.
Helped his team finish 28-7, reach the IHSA 4A Super-Sectional championship game, win the conference title, reach the city final for the second time ever and earn its first No. 1 ranking in the IHSA 4A poll.
Dropped 20 points, including the game-sealing free throws with five seconds left, to give Kenwood its first-ever win over powerhouse Simeon Career Academy, 46-43, on Jan. 10, 2023, and then scored 22 against Simeon 32 days later in the city title game and hit a 3-pointer to force overtime.
Averaged a team-leading 24.0 points, 4.7 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.2 rebounds per game as a junior, while shooting 58.4 percent overall, 51.2 percent beyond the arc and 82.6 percent at the line.
Aided the team to a 26-9 record and an appearance in the IHSA 4A Super-Sectional title game.
Competed at the varsity level as both a sophomore and freshman, the latter at Morgan Park High School.
Played AAU basketball for the Mac Irvin Fire and put up a team-high 18.2 points, 4.5 assists, 2.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 28.8 minutes per game in the summer before his senior year, while shooting 47.5 percent from the floor.
Singer Yvette Stevens (Chaka Khan), former NBA center Nazr Muhammad and actor Mandy Patinkin are among the notable Kenwood Academy alumni.

PERSONAL

Full name is Darrin Sylvester Ames Jr., but goes by “Dai Dai,” his nickname since birth.
Born June 2, 2005, in Chicago.
Parents are Darrin Ames Sr., a retired correctional officer, and Juanita Ames, a teacher.
Has two older brothers, Quinten and Joshua, as well as an older sister, Quinique.
Majoring in communication studies and hopes to go into real estate after his playing career.
Enjoys gaming and riding dirt bikes.
Favorite athlete is Kyrie Irving because he models his game after him.
Best sports memory is his game-winning 4-point play against Notre Dame on Jan. 2, 2026.
Wears No. 4 because that has been his primary number since he was a kid.
Donned No. 4 at Kansas State, before wearing No. 7 at both Virginia and Cal.
Committed to Tennessee over Kansas, Ole Miss and Xavier.
Chose Tennessee because it is a winning program and he wanted to be coached by one of the greatest coaches in the sport.
Recruited to Cal by Amorrow Morgan, who also recruited him to Tennessee.
Went to middle school at Parker Junior High School with Tennessee teammate Miles Rubin.
Follows seven previous Tennessee letter winners out of Illinois, including 1961-62 team captain John Martin and two-time All-SEC designee Admiral Schofield, who totaled 1,570 points from 2015-19.