UT-Tyler’s Sam Phipps Wins State Farm® Dark Horse Dunker Competition

Official Rules

INDIANAPOLIS (March 30, 2026) –Intersport, producers of the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, today announced that Sam Phipps of UT-Tyler has won the 2026 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker contest and will have the opportunity to compete in the event’s State Farm Slam Dunk Championship.

Fans determined the winner by voting on the event’s X (@CollegeSlam) and Instagram (@College_Slam) channels. The State Farm Dark Horse Dunker contest is a digital media contest that matched the top college dunkers in a bracket-style competition to determine the final participant.

Phipps earned Lone Star Conference Honorable Mention honors his senior year, and averaged 9.3 points per game, 8.4 boards per contest, and totaled 33 dunks on the season. He ultimately received the most votes in the final round and earned a spot in the event that takes place April 3 in Indianapolis and airs on ESPN on April 5 at 1:30 p.m. ET. The 8-man roster for the competition will be unveiled in the coming days.

Previous State Farm Dark Horse Dunker Champions

2025: Tristan Smith (Concordia-Nebraska)

2024: Jermaine Hall Jr. (California (Pa.))

2023: Carlos Pepin (East Stroudsburg)

2022: Brandon Ellis (Lynn)

2021: TJ Crockett (Lindenwood)

2020: Wayne Stewart (Texas A&M Commerce)

2019: Roderick Howell (North Greenville)

2018: Max Pearce (Purchase College)

2017: Antonius Cleveland (Southeast Missouri State)

2016: Yunio Barrueta (Barry University)

2015: Davene Carter (Tarleton State) and Antjuan Ball (West Texas A&M)

2014: Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky)

2013: Corey Law (High Point)

2012: James Justice (Martin Methodist College) 

2011: Jacob Tucker (Illinois College)

Three players who won the State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition have gone on to win the Slam Dunk Championship, including Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky) in 2014, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012 and Jacob Tucker (Illinois College) in 2011.