Where does Lorenzo Charles' dunk stand?

The college basketball world was rocked on Monday when news broke that Lorenzo Charles, the hero of the 1983 National Championship game, was killed in a bus accident in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Charles, 47, etched his place in the annals of college basketball history when he dunked home a Derek Wittenberg 3-pointer as time expired, to give Jim Valvano's North Carolina State Wolfpack the victory over the Houston Cougars.

You have all seen the video. You all have seen the aftermath, Jim Valvano running around the court, arms flailing, looking for somebody, anybody, to hug. The video is a staple of any good college basketball highlight video. Charles moment captured the two things college basketball fans love the most: dunks and buzzer-beaters. It is one of the quintessential March Madness moments.

I watched this video close to 15 times last night. And it got me to thinkin': Where does this dunk rank amongst the all-time best in college basketball?

As an expert in college basketball dunks and slams, I believe it's one of the top-2, with "Send It In Jerome" taking No. 1.

But it's a great debate. Is it top-5? has to be, right?

Is it top-3? which two are better?

Is it the most memorable dunk of all-time? The only other dunk that can hold weight is "Send It In Jerome".

What say you college basketball fans?

"...With The Dunk"



"Send It In Jerome"





R.I.P Lorenzo Charles (November 25, 1963 – June 27, 2011)

Continue reading...

2009-2010 College Basketball Season Preview: Best Dunkers

There aren't too many things that will fire up a crowd more than an electrifying dunk. The momentum of a game can change on just one outlet pass that turns into a thunderous slam. There won't be a shortage of rim-rockers this year, and there are plenty of guys out there with the hops capable of putting on a show for the fans.

With the season tip-off being literally hours away, what better way to get back into the spirit of the game than by going over the biggest high-flyers of the upcoming season.

As we have certified ourselves as the preeminent dunk experts on the intrawebs, here is out list of the top 10 dunkers this season. Don't be surprised if these guys make quite a few Sportscenter top 10's.

Chris "Top Flight" Wright - 6'8" forward, Dayton

I can make this short, because, well, his nickname is "Top Flight". Wright is by far the most talked-about dunker entering this season, and with the high expectations that have been set for Dayton, we could be seeing a lot of the this high-flyer on weekly top tens throughout the year. There are more than a handful of dunks you could pick as being Wright's most memorable. When he dunked over Marquette's Maurice Acker, I was pretty sure he left the atmosphere (seriously, look at where he catches the ball, then think about the fact that he doesn't use a dribble to get to the rim). Not only is Wright one of the best dunkers in the country, he is also one of the most athletic players out there. With Blake Griffin and Gerald Henderson, arguably two of the best dunkers last year, leaving for the NBA, "Top Flight" has become the premiere rim-rocker at the college level.









Trevor Booker - 6'7" forward, Clemson

He's your prototypical power-dunker. The true definition of a rim-rocker. The bulk of his highlight reel dunks come on tip-ins and follow-up slams. Clemson is a widely known as a "push-the-pace" team, and Booker has become an expert at trailing the break and following up on the glass. He's also a beast on the offensive rebounds. His physical strength can get him over, around, or through any defender in his way.









Paul George - 6'8" forward, Fresno State

A lot of people across the country didn't get to see a single Fresno State game on the television last season. They missed out on one of the most entertaining players in the entire country. But George's popularity has soared because of his highlight reel videos across the internet and youtube. He made his case for last season's "Dunk of the Year" with a monstrous one-handed slam from just inside the foul line against St. Marys. Did I mention that he did this in only his second game in his college career? Entering his sophomore season, George will undoubtedly capture the spotlight in the Mountain West Conference. He's long and lanky and is still some-what raw, but he has smooth transitions and can get up off the ground in a hurry.









Stanley "Stix" Robinson - 6'9" forward, UConn

The man known as "Stix" has been soaring across the sky in Storrs for the past two seasons. He had to leave the team to tend to personal issues a year ago, but came back to the team for the second part of last season. Since then, he has been the Huskies resident skywalker. His dunking ability is a combination of great athleticism and entertaining excitement. With the Husky's style of play lending to outside jumpers, "Stix" has a great presence of mind to get to the basket after the shot. However, having said all that, we must remember that he does have a tendency to be on the wrong end of posterizations. See Summers-comma-Durrell or Anderson-comma-Joe for more details.

(first highlight here)









Durrell Summers - 6'4" guard, Michigan State

Mr. Summers makes the list for his ability to be in the right place at the right time along with feeling at home soaring above the rim. A long and athletic wing with a wiry frame, Durrell was MSU’s most dynamic big-play threat last season. His knack for making a big shot, or finishing off a nice transition has made him a star among the East Lansing faithful. He is an integral part of the Spartans transitional play and press-break, usually starring as finishing touch. Spartan fans were acustomed to nightly viewings of Durrell Summers finishing off a Michigan State possesion with a fierce slam. Summers is forever linked to Robinson because of the monumental posterization that Summers laid down during the Final Four.









The best of the rest

Willie Warren - 6'4" guard, Oklahoma





Gerard Anderson - 6'6" forward, Cal State-Fullerton



Will Coleman - 6'9" forward, Memphis





John Wall - 6'4" guard, Kentucky





Carlon Brown - 6'3" guard, Utah





Who did we miss?
Continue reading...

2009 NCAA Tournament - Best Dunks

No lists here. Nothing needs to be ranked. We all know what the best dunk was (sorry Sticks, its true), but that was far from the only poster that was made.

Jeremy Pargo on some poor kid from Akron:



The Blake Griffin series:











Elliot Williams with a one-handed dunk in traffic against Villanova.



Stanley Robinson saves a little face with a huge tip dunk against Michigan State. I know that technically a tip dunk is when you grab a rebound in the air and dunk it before hitting the ground, but dunks of this nature need a better name than "tip-dunk". It is a different beast all together. Suggestions? Side note: this dunk signified the end for UConn, as the ensuing inbounds led to Durrell Summers and-one lay-up.



Gerald Henderson with a huge dunk against Texas.



I know it didn't count, but you gotta love when a little guy like Jonny Flynn gets up like this.



Sergio Kerusch of Western Kentucky with a nice dunk off of a back door feed. Not really sure what that music is though.



And the best dunk of the tournament:



I know I missed some nice dunks somewhere, so leave a comment and let me know.
Continue reading...