HOUSTON, TX. - Intersport, producers of the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, announced details for the 2023 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition, a social media fan voting competition featuring 16 of the nation's top under-the-radar players from all levels of college basketball. This four-week competition will culminate with the winner having the chance to compete against high-major stars in the King's Hawaiian College Slam Dunk Championship on March 30 in Houston.
Fans will determine the winner by voting on the event's Twitter (@CollegeSlam) and Instagram (@College_Slam) channels in a bracket-style competition. The Twitter voting window for each round will run for the duration of each round and the Instagram voting window for each round will run for the final 24 hours each week. First-round voting begins today at Noon CT and runs through Friday at Noon CT. The athlete with the most votes in each matchup will move on to the next round. The final round will take place March 20-24.
The schedule for each voting round will go as follows:
•Round One: Feb. 27 at Noon CT through March 3 at Noon CT (16 Players)
•Quarterfinals: March 6 at Noon CT through March 10 at Noon CT (8 Players)
•Semifinals: March 13 at Noon CT through March 17 at Noon CT (4 Players)
•Finals: March 20 at Noon CT through March 24 at Noon CT (2 Players)
The player that ultimately receives the most votes in the final round will be selected to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, an event featuring some of the best college dunkers and 3-point shooters in the country. The 2023 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will air live on ESPN2 during college championship weekend in Houston at 6:30 p.m. CT on March 30.
The following are the 16 Dark Horse Dunkers competing in the contest for their chance to showcase their talents in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships:
- Marvin Agwomoh, Benedictine
- Diego Bernard, Northwest Missouri State
- Isaiah Brooks, Faulkner
- Cam Burrell, Lindenwood
- Eddie Daley, William Penn
- Carver Locke, Iowa Wesleyan
- Malik Lorquet, UMass Boston
- Victor Nwagbaraocha, Missouri-St. Louis
- Kingsley Okanu, Grand Valley State
- Jonathan Park, Nazareth College
- Carlos Pepin, East Stroudsburg
- Warren Richardson, LeTourneau
- Isaiah Sanders, Fairmont State
- Stacey Thomas, LSU Shreveport
- Damion Thorton, West Texas A&M
- Will Yoakum, Nova Southeastern
Three players who won the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition have gone on to win the Slam Dunk Championship, including Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky) in 2014, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012 and Jacob Tucker (Illinois College) in 2011.
For more information about the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@CollegeSLAM). Official rules for the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition can be found HERE.
About State Farm
For 100 years, the mission of State Farm has been and continues to be to help people manage the risks of everyday life, recover from the unexpected, and realize their dreams. State Farm and its affiliates are the largest providers of auto and home insurance in the United States. Its more than 19,400 agents and approximately 53,400 employees serve over 87 million policies and accounts – which includes auto, fire, life, health, commercial policies and financial services accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 42 on the 2022 Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com.
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports, lifestyle, culinary and entertainment-based marketing platforms. With expertise in Sponsorship Consulting, Experiential Marketing, Hospitality, Customer Engagement, Content Marketing, Productions and Sports Properties, this Chicago-based Marketing & Media Solutions Company helps their clients to create ideas, content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences. To learn more about Intersport, visit www.intersport.global, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram.
