Four former college basketball stars battled in the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest Saturday night, with Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Hamidou Diallo coming out on top. But Kentucky fans were probably already familiar with the sight of Diallo hanging way above the rim.
Here's a look at each of the four 2019 contestants' college careers — and their top collegiate dunks.
BEST COLLEGE DUNKERS: Zion, Clemons and five others we'd like to see in a college slam dunk contest
2019 Slam Dunk Contest: The participants' best dunks from college
Miles Bridges (Michigan State)
While with the Spartans, Bridges had an impressive two-season career.
As a freshman, he averaged 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game. He upped his scoring average to 17.1 while adding 7.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a sophomore.
Bridges and Michigan State advanced to the second round in both NCAA tournament appearances during his career, finishing 30-5 and first in the Big Ten at 16-2 last season.
Now with the Charlotte Hornets, Bridges is scoring 6.5 points per game as a rookie.
John Collins (Wake Forest)
The current Atlanta Hawk played in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Demon Deacons. He averaged 7.3 points per game his first season before his average ballooned to 19.2 He also averaged 9.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game his second season. Wake Forest improved from 11-20 to 19-14 and made the 2017 NCAA tournament.
The 6-10 second-year pro is currently averaging 19.1 points and 9.5 boards for the Hawks. But before that, he was putting down slams for the Deacons.
Hamidou Diallo (Kentucky)
In one season at Kentucky, Diallo averaged 10 points per game as UK went 26-11 and made the Sweet 16 in the 2018 NCAA tournament. In the Wildcats' second-round win against upset-minded Buffalo, Diallo scored 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting and also grabbed eight rebonds.
Take a look at what he did against Buffalo.
HELLO, HAMIDOU DIALLO! 🔨
— NCAA March Madness (@marchmadness)
But Diallo didn't keep his dunking magic limited to the NCAA tournament. He also had a big moment against rival Louisville.
The 6-5 Diallo is scoring 4.2 points per game for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
MARCH MADNESS 2019: Print the official 2019 bracket |
Dennis Smith Jr. (NC State)
In his one season at NC State (2016-17), Smith posted 18.1 points per game along with 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game.
The second-year player now plays for the New York Knicks after getting traded from the Dallas Mavericks on Jan. 31. Since joining the Knicks, Smith has averaged 17 points per game.
Smith had one of his best games against Duke, when he had 32 points, made four 3-pointers and had six assists in an 84-82 win at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
His most memorable moment? It didn't even count. But it left a lasting impression on Duke and its stunned fans.
