College basketball fans got a head start on Final Four weekend in the Valley with the 35th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships on Thursday night.
The event, televised nationally by ESPN, was hosted by Grand Canyon University at its Global Credit Union Arena in Phoenix.
It featured 24 of the nation’s elite men’s and women’s college basketball players competing for slam dunk and 3-point shooting bragging rights.
Arizona’s Keshad Johnson and Grand Canyon’s Gabe McGlothan were among the participants in the slam dunk contest.
McGlothan reached the final and won it on his last attempt of the final round, defeating John Ukomadu of Eastern Kentucky, much to the delight of the home crowd and his head coach, Bryce Drew, who was one of the judges.
HOMETOWN HERO 🤩@GabeMcGlothan5 is your @KingsHawaiian Slam Dunk Champion‼@StateFarm | #CollegeSlam | @GCUHavocs pic.twitter.com/9vh1YUTCeV
— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024
Former Suns forward Shawn Marion also was one of the slam dunk judges.
UNBELIEVABLE @clutch__j 😮@StateFarm | @KingsHawaiian | #CollegeSlam pic.twitter.com/O9LBoOj6sh
— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024
Nebraska’s Keisei Tominaga, who wears No. 30 in honor of his idol Steph Curry, won the men’s three-point shooting contest, beating Tyler Thomas of Hofstra in the final.
.@KeiseiTominaga outta @HuskerMBB gets it DONE 💪
Keisei is your @Hanes Originals Soft Touch Men’s 3-Point Champion‼@StateFarm | #CollegeSlam pic.twitter.com/Bqoy3aGKH5
— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024
Indiana’s Sara Scalia won the women’s three-point shooting contest, beating Hayley Frank of Missouri in the final.
.@sara_scalia14 just went out there and won it, why not 🤷♀️
Sara is your @Hanes Originals Soft Touch Women’s 3-Point Champion‼@StateFarm | @CollegeSlam pic.twitter.com/KSOn00Yb9f
— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024
Later, Tominaga beat Scalia, 20-16, in a head-to-head showdown between the three-pointer champs.
The Final Four will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Saturday and Monday.
