University of Memphis Athletics
Tigers Add Illinois Big Man Dain Dainja
Jun 06, 2024 | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The University of Memphis men's basketball program and head coach Penny Hardaway announced Thursday the addition of Dain Dainja (pronounced DAYN DAYN-juh) to the 2024-25 Tigers.
The 6-foot-10 transfer big man comes to the 901 after spending the last two seasons at Illinois where he helped lead the program to 49 wins. Prior to that, Dainja spent his first two collegiate seasons at Baylor (2020-22), winning a NCAA National Championship with the Bears in 2021. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Season tickets to see the Tigers are available for purchase now at THIS LINK or by calling the Memphis Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331.
Dainja started all 38 games for the Illini last season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting a team-high 66.9 percent from the field (101-of-151) in just 10.6 minutes per game. He also put up 22 blocks and seven steals for a team that won the Big Ten championship and reached the Elite Eight before falling to eventual back-to-back national champion UConn.
He set the Illinois program record for consecutive field goals made at 20, a streak that spanned six postseason games.
Dainja scored double digits in eight games, including 18 points against Ohio State that sparked a second-half comeback in the Big Ten quarterfinals and a season-high 21 points against Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The native Minnesotan scored double figures in 10 games and grabbed five or more rebounds in 16 for the 29-9 Illini.
In his first season with the Illini in 2022-23, Dainja played a substantial role, appearing in 33 games with 21 starts. He averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game and tallied 39 blocks with 25 steals.
Dainja spent the first two seasons of his college career at Baylor where he won a National Championship with the Bears in 2020-21.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The 6-foot-10 transfer big man comes to the 901 after spending the last two seasons at Illinois where he helped lead the program to 49 wins. Prior to that, Dainja spent his first two collegiate seasons at Baylor (2020-22), winning a NCAA National Championship with the Bears in 2021. He has one season of eligibility remaining.
Season tickets to see the Tigers are available for purchase now at THIS LINK or by calling the Memphis Ticket Office at (901) 678-2331.
Dainja started all 38 games for the Illini last season, averaging 6.1 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting a team-high 66.9 percent from the field (101-of-151) in just 10.6 minutes per game. He also put up 22 blocks and seven steals for a team that won the Big Ten championship and reached the Elite Eight before falling to eventual back-to-back national champion UConn.
He set the Illinois program record for consecutive field goals made at 20, a streak that spanned six postseason games.
Dainja scored double digits in eight games, including 18 points against Ohio State that sparked a second-half comeback in the Big Ten quarterfinals and a season-high 21 points against Morehead State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
The native Minnesotan scored double figures in 10 games and grabbed five or more rebounds in 16 for the 29-9 Illini.
In his first season with the Illini in 2022-23, Dainja played a substantial role, appearing in 33 games with 21 starts. He averaged 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game and tallied 39 blocks with 25 steals.
Dainja spent the first two seasons of his college career at Baylor where he won a National Championship with the Bears in 2020-21.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tiger Men's Basketball, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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