The top 10 dunks of the college basketball season

By Troy MachirFeb 4, 2013, 4:00 PM EST

A hearty welcome to those of you just now joining the rest of us in following college basketball now that football season has ended. We’ll be running a series of posts to get all you football fans caught up on the season at-large. To read through them all, click here.

In case you’ve missed it, major media believes this is a down year in college hoops. There is no 2012 Kentucky Wildcats or 1976 Indiana Hoosiers. The NBA one-and-done rule is draining college hoops of all the major superstars.

Well guess what?

You don’t have to be Kevin Durant or LeBron James to throw down a highlight reel dunk.

The 2012-2013 college basketball season has been an exciting one, with comebacks, buzzer-beaters, and of course, huge dunks. The sport doesn’t need Carmelo Anthony or Anthony Davis in order to provide excitement, and the following videos are proof as to why.

Honorable Mention:
DJ Stephens – Memphis vs. VCU, 11/22/12
Archie Goodwin – Kentucky vs. Portland, 12/8/12
Elijah Pittman – Marshall vs. Cincinnati, 12/15/12
Victor Rudd Jr. – South Florida vs. Syracuse, 1/6/13 (Go to 1:17 mark)
Sam Thompson – Ohio State vs. Michigan, 1/13/13
Jared Berggren – Wisconsin vs. Indiana, 1/15/13
Nerlens Noel – Kentucky vs. Auburn, 1/19/13
John Daniels – Columbia vs. Cornell, 1/26/13
Alex Len – Maryland vs. Duke, 1/26/13
Akil Mitchell – Virginia vs. North Carolina State, 1/29/03
Adrien Payne – Michigan State vs. Illinois, 1/31/13
Victor Oladipo – Indiana vs. Michigan, 2/2/13
Kevin Young – Kansas vs. Oklahoma State, 2/2/13

Justin Glover – Winston Salem State vs. Elizabeth City State (D-II)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-WriQOW-N4%5D

For all intents and purposes, this dunk should be in the top-5. Heck, it’s probably the best dunk of the season. But it took place in a D-II game, so it can’t crack the top-10. But HOLY MOLY, this is the craziest dunk of the year. And that’s saying something considering what our No. 1 dunk is.

Top-10 dunks of the college basketball season:

10. Chris Denson – Auburn vs. Tennessee Tech, 12/18/12

The SEC is not a good college basketball conference this season. True, Florida is dismantling teams left and right, but Missouri, Kentucky and Ole Miss are next in line and none of them ave inspired much confidence in the general public.

So if Ole Miss is 6-2 in conference play, and they aren’t as good as their record indicates, what does that say about Auburn, who sits at 8-13 overall and 2-6 in the SEC? The Tigers are not good, that’s what it says. But you wouldn’t think that based on this superb one-handed poster-dunk by 6-foot-2 guard Chris Denson.

9. Rodney Purvis – North Carolina State vs. Miami, 2/2/13

NC-State is one of the most puzzling teams in the country. They put together a 10-game winning streak which included a win over then-No.1 Duke. But since then, the Wolfpack have lost four of six, including losses to Virginia and Wake Forest.

Oh then there was also the recent issue of freshman Rodney Purvis re-tweeting a negative comment one of his former-teammates made about head coach Mark Gottfried. I think this sensational put-back dunk he had against Miami might be enough to get him out of the dog house.

8. Troy Huff – North Dakota vs. Idaho State, 2/2/13

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ERlUdff7E%5D

There isn’t much you need to know about North Dakota or Idaho State. There are only two things you need to know about Troy Huff. First, he’s the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.1ppg. Second, the kid can fly.

This dunk cracks the top-10 because of Huff’s in-flight transition from a two-handed slam to a one-handed jam. The mid-air transition is such an underrated part of the dunk game. Huff makes it look easy.

Thank God there wasn’t a defender in Huff’s way. Things would have gotten ugly. This was one of the strongest dunks I’ve seen in a long time.

7. Doug Anderson – Detroit vs. St. John’s, 11/13/12

Doug Anderson is the best dunker in the country. Plain and simple. There is not a player in the country who dunks with as much vertical height, velocity and frequency as the Detroit freak-show. On any given night, he’s good for a handful of highlight reel plays. Scouting for Doug Anderson is not all that complicated. Simply box him out on every shot or he will make you pay.

6. Mason Plumlee – Duke vs. Maryland, 1/26/13

Mason Plumlee is on the short-list of National Player of the Year candidates and this incredibly difficult reverse putback dunk is just one of the many reasons why. Plumlee has improved in all facets of the game. There aren’t many big-man as athletic or as agile as Plumlee, and this dunk shows why. The degree of difficulty of this dunk is off-the-charts, and Plumlee almost makes it look easy. But trust me, this dunk was not easy at all.

5. Brandon Paul – Illinois vs. Minnesota, 1/9/13

When Illinois played Minnesota during the second week of conference play, both teams were ranked and were thought to be legitimate contenders in the Big-Ten. While a lot has changed since then, the Illini have lost five of six, nothing changes the fact that Brandon Paul’s poster-jam over Trevor Mbakwe is one of the most violent dunks of the season. When you look up the definition of #POSTERIZED in the dictionary, a .GIF of this dunk shows up next to the word.

4. Victor Oladipo – Indiana vs. Central Connecticut State, 12/8/12

Three months into the season and it’s Victor Oladipo, not Cody Zeller, who is the Hooiser’s best player and likely candidate for Player of the Year. The junior is one of the most athletic players in the country, has improved his jumper, and is one of the best lockdown defenders in the country. Did I mention he was athletic? Central Connecticut State had to find out the hard way.

3. Deonte Burton – Nevada vs. UNLV, 1/30/13

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaNUd8r-nVo%5D

Watch the video. Now watch it again. And again. I’m still in shock.

Burton is one of the most electrifying players that nobody knows about. He’s only 6-foot-1 yet can explode like somebody 6-foot-7 and has hit clutch shot after clutch shot. But look at this dunk. Look at how he get’s his arm cocked back for full extension. Remember, Burton is just 6-FOOT-1! This is an incredible dunk.

2. Marcus Lewis – Eastern Kentucky vs. Southeast Missouri, 2/2/13

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufsGMYsyW-Q%5D

Remember how I just said that Deonte Burton’s out-of-bounds ally-oop was incredible? Well it was. But Marcus Lewis’ out-of-bounds ally-oop was incredible on steroids.

First he burns the poor defender who gets caught peeking at the in-bounds pass. Then he jumps up, uses a defenders face as a springboard and dunks all over the entire team. Like I said: incredible on steroids.

1. Jamaal Franklin – San Diego State vs. Fresno State, 1/10/13

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLPGiv0HI5Q&w=560&h=315%5D

This is why the kids call him “Circus Time”.

Only Jamaal Franklin would toss himself a 25-foot self-ally-oop off the backboard in while splitting a double team. Who does something like that? Jamaal Franklin. That’s who.

This is…I just…The thing about it is…A month later, and I’m still speechless.

Just shut it down already. Game over.

I can’t even begin to imagine what has to take place in order for this dunk to not still be No. 1 at season’s end.

Gonzaga’s Timme among five finalists for men’s Wooden Award

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 12:07 AM EDT

Marvin Gentry-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES – Drew Timme of Gonzaga is one of five finalists for the John R. Wooden Award as the men’s college basketball player of the year.

He’s joined by Zach Edey of Purdue, Trayce Jackson-Davis of Indiana, Houston’s Marcus Sasser and Jalen Wilson of Kansas.

Timme took his team farthest in the upset-riddled NCAA Tournament with Gonzaga losing in the Elite Eight. Sasser helped Houston reach the Sweet 16. Purdue lost in the first round, while Indiana and Kansas were beaten in the second round.

The winner will be announced April 4 on ESPN. All five players have been invited to Los Angeles for the 47th annual presentation on April 7.

Also among the top 10 vote getters were: Jaime Jaquez Jr. of UCLA, Brandon Miller of Alabama, Penn State’s Jalen Pickett, Oscar Tshiebwe of Kentucky and Arizona’s Azuolas Tubelis.

Voting took place from March 13-20.

South Carolina’s Dawn Staley will receive the Legends of Coaching Award during the ceremony at the Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Indiana’s Teri Moren wins AP Coach of the Year

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 12:05 AM EDT

Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

DALLAS – Teri Moren has led Indiana to some unprecedented heights this season.

The team won its first Big Ten regular season championship in 40 years, rose to No. 2 in The Associated Press women’s basketball poll and earned the school’s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Moren was honored Thursday as the AP women’s basketball Coach of the Year, the first time she has won the award. She received 12 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. South Carolina’s Dawn Staley was second with eight votes. Utah’s Lynne Roberts received five and Virginia Tech’s Kenny Brooks three.

Voting was done before the NCAA Tournament.

“I think a lot of people were like this is going to be a year where Indiana is reloading, rebuilding, they won’t be as good as they had been the year prior. We were picked third in the Big Ten,” Moren said.

Moren was surprised by her team, who told her she won in an elaborate ruse.

“Anytime you can share it with people that made it happen. the staff, the players, the most important people who have been instrumental in the season and this award is special. I was speechless.”

Moren accepted the award at the Final Four, sharing the stage with AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark to complete a Big Ten sweep.

The team has come a long way from when Moren was a young girl growing up in southern Indiana. She was a diehard fan of the Indiana basketball team. The men’s one that is.

She would attend men’s games with her family when she was a kid and was a big fan of coach Bob Knight. She has a constant reminder of the Hall of Fame coach in her office as a picture of his infamous chair-throwing incident hangs by the door. Moren said it’s the last thing she sees before heading to practice.

As far as the women’s team, they just weren’t very good. Times have changed, as Moren has built the program into a blue-collar team that focuses on defense and is a consistent Top 25 team the last few seasons, appearing in the poll for 75 consecutive weeks starting with the preseason one in 2019-2020. That’s the fourth-longest active streak.

Before that, the Hoosiers had been ranked for a total of six times.

“People still talk to me about living in Bloomington and they couldn’t afford a ticket to the men’s game. Not that they settled, but became women’s basketball fans. At that moment, you could walk in and find any seat you wanted and watch women’s basketball,” Moren said.

“There were 300-400 people in the stands, now to what it is today, it’s an unbelievable thing to watch it grow. Things you dream about to see fans and bodies up in the rafters.”

The Hoosiers had six of the school’s top 10 most attended games this season, including crowds of over 13,000 fans for the first round of the NCAA Tournament and 14,000 for the second round game – a shocking loss to Miami.

“It stings right now, but that last game doesn’t define our season,” Moren said.

AP source: Alabama’s Brandon Miller declares for NBA draft

Associated PressMar 31, 2023, 12:01 AM EDT

Getty Images

Alabama All-American forward Brandon Miller is heading to the NBA after displaying versatile talent and athleticism in a lone season of college ball that was blemished by revelations he was present at a fatal shooting in January near campus.

ESPN first reported on Miller’s decision, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed the report to The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because Miller hadn’t yet made an official declaration for the draft.

The 6-foot-9, 200-pound freshman, who was one of the nation’s top high school recruits, is projected as a potential top 5 draft pick.

Miller displayed his accurate 3-point shooting and athleticism in the most productive season of any freshman in Alabama history. He led the Tide to their first No. 1 ranking in 20 years and first No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed.

Miller averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while hitting 38% from 3-point range. But he was scoreless in his first March Madness game, and went 3 of 19 and scored just nine points in a Sweet 16 loss to San Diego State.

Miller was described as a cooperating witness after the Jan. 15 shooting and was never charged with a crime.

But he and the Tide were dogged by off-court questions for the final two months of the season. Former Alabama player Darius Miles and another man were charged with capital murder in the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Jamea Harris, who was killed in early on Jan. 15.

Miller and fellow freshman Jaden Bradley were placed at the scene as well. According to police testimony, Miller brought Miles his gun. Miller’s attorney said the Tide forward was on his way to pick Miles up when Miles texted asking him to bring the weapon, but that Miller never handled the gun and didn’t know any criminal activity was intended.

Miller received threats after the news came out, and was accompanied by a university-provided security guard. “It doesn’t bother me,” Miller said of the threats at the NCAA regional in Birmingham, Alabama, “I send it to the right people and they handle it.”

Alabama finished the season 31-6 and won the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark wins AP Player of the Year

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 3:02 PM EDT

Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Caitlin Clark has put together one of the greatest individual seasons in NCAA history with eye-popping offensive numbers.

Iowa’s junior guard, though, saved her best performance for the game’s biggest stage, recording the first 40-point triple-double in NCAA history to get Iowa to the Final Four for the first time in 30 years.

Clark was honored Thursday as The Associated Press women’s basketball Player of the Year. She received 20 votes from the 28-member national media panel that votes on the AP Top 25 each week. Voting was done before March Madness began.

“It’s a huge honor,” Clark said. “I picked a place that I perfectly fit into and that’s allowed me to show my skill set. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t mean something. It’s not the reason you play basketball, it’s just something that comes along with getting to do what you love.”

The Iowa coaching staff surprised Clark by sharing that she won the award while they were visiting the Iowa Children’s Hospital – a place near and dear to her. It also has huge ties to the Hawkeyes athletic department.

They put together a video of some of the children in the hospital congratulating Clark on an outstanding season, and in the middle of it, Iowa coach Lisa Bluder popped on the screen to tell her she won.

“I’m there for inspiring the next generation and being there for the people that you know are going through a hard time,” said Clark, who grew up in Iowa. “Being able to give joy to people that watch you play and watch your team play is amazing.”

She averaged 27.0 points, 8.3 assists and 7.5 rebounds during the season to help Iowa go 26-6. Clark has 984 points, the sixth-most in a season by any player in Division I women’s history. She also has over 300 assists.

“She is spectacular. I don’t know how else to describe what she does on the basketball court,” Bluder said.

Next up for the Hawkeyes is undefeated South Carolina in the national semifinals. The Gamecocks are led by Aliyah Boston, last season’s winner of the award. She garnered the other eight votes this season.

“There’s so many great players, more than just me and (Aliyah),” Clark told the AP. “You can go on and on and list the tremendous players. I think that’s really good for our game when there’s a lot of great players. That’s what is going to help this game grow more than anything else.”

Whether it’s hitting deep 3s from the Hawkeye logo at home games, hitting off-balance game-winning shots or throwing pinpoint passes to teammates for easy baskets, Clark has excelled on the court this year to get Iowa to a place it hasn’t been in a long time.

“It’s funny, because the better the opponent, almost the better she plays,” Bluder said. “It’s like she locks in on those, when we’re playing against Top 25 teams. That’s when her statistics even go up even more, against great opponents.”

Clark is the second Iowa player to win the AP award in the past few seasons, joining Megan Gustafson who won it in 2019.

UCLA guard Jaylen Clark declares for NBA draft

Associated PressMar 30, 2023, 12:33 AM EDT

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

LOS ANGELES – UCLA guard Jaylen Clark has declared for the NBA draft, weeks after a leg injury forced him out of the season’s final six games.

The junior from Riverside, California, announced his plans on his Instagram account Wednesday.

“Thank you to UCLA and coach (Mick) Cronin for believing in me,” Clark’s post read. “I’d like to announce that I am declaring for the 2023 draft.”

Clark didn’t indicate whether he would hire an agent ahead of the June 22 draft or retain his remaining eligibility. He has until May 31 to withdraw and be able to return to Westwood.

He suffered a lower right leg injury in the regular-season finale against Arizona on March 4. Clark averaged 13 points and six rebounds while starting 29 of 30 games. He led the Pac-12 in total steals with 78, tying for third all-time in single-season steals for the Bruins.

He was a second team All-Pac-12 selection, was named the league’s defensive player of the year and made its five-man All-Defensive Team.

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