Final Four weekend begins with College Slam Dunk and 3-Point contests at GCU

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

He just casually does that 🤷‍♂️@GabeMcGlothan5 showin' out for the @GCUHavocs 🤩@StateFarm | @KingsHawaiian | #CollegeSlam pic.twitter.com/PisDdhf6Dm

— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024

Johnson put together quite the highlight himself before he was eliminated. He didn’t exactly agree with the judging and results, however.

"That set the bar pretty high for the first dunk 👀"@kj_showtime0 from @ArizonaMBB getting us going in the @KingsHawaiian Slam Dunk Championship😤@StateFarm | #CollegeSlam pic.twitter.com/Zw9DrMDCle

— College Slam (@CollegeSLAM) April 5, 2024

Did I just get robbed in National Television 🤦🏽‍♂️? Aye Aaron Gordon I know how it feels😂😂. It gotta be a Wildcats thing. #BearDown🔴🔵

— Keshad johnson aka “Showtime” (@kj_showtime0) 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.

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