By Marty Gordon
Radford University senior Shaquan Jules officially finished second in the King’s Hawaiian College Slam Dunk Championship held Thursday in Houston, Texas. But unofficially, he won.
His final dunk went sideways, causing him to miss the overall dunk. He still had 26 seconds left on the clock and completed a massive dunk that left judges scratching their heads. Jules had scored two perfect scores heading into the finals. When judges met, they ruled the layup counted, meaning the second attempt did not.
Georgia Southern men’s basketball fifth-year senior Kamari Brown earned the title of highest flyer in college basketball, winning the King’s Hawaiian Slam Dunk Championship Thursday night in the Bayou Music Center. Brown recorded a 47 on his final dunk.
Jules had been selected to the King’s Hawaiian Slam Dunk Championship roster for the 34th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships at the Bayou Music Center in downtown Houston on March 30. Jules is one of just eight players selected for the event.
Having wrapped up his third and final season as a Highlander at the CBI this past month, Jules is the program’s all-time leader in career field goal percentage at the Division I level, shooting an incredible 67.7% on 371 attempts. The Orlando, Fla. native posted numerous career highs during the 2022-23 campaign, including 7.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game on a 70.0% shooting clip.
Jules ranks T-41st out of all players in the nation with 42 thunderous made dunks on the season, going 42-for-45 (93.3%) on his attempts. That number leads the Big South Conference, besting High Point’s Zach Austin (39) and UNC Asheville’s Drew Pember (37).
The State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships invites the nation’s elite men’s and women’s college basketball players to compete for slam dunk and 3-point shooting bragging rights. The night features the King’s Hawaiian Slam Dunk Championship, the TaxAct Men’s 3-Point Championship, the Celsius Women’s 3-Point Championship and the Applebee’s Team Shootout. The winners of the men’s and women’s 3-Point competitions will then compete in the Rocket Mortgage Battle of the Champions.
For nearly 35 years, several of the top players in college basketball have competed in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships including Gary Payton, Steve Nash, Jason Terry, Kyle Korver, Bobby Hurley, Michael Finley, Denzel Valentine, Cappie Pondexter, Katie Gearlds, Kristi Toliver, Tiffany Hayes and Ariel Atkins.