Jacob Tucker Wins 2011 NCAA Slam Dunk Contest (VIDEO)

It all started when Jacob Tucker, a 5-foot-11 guard at Illinois College (D-III), posted an incredible dunk video on YouTube in an attempt to get voted into the NCAA slam dunk contest.

The senior got his wish and seized the opportunity on Thursday night.

Tucker, the smallest player in the competition, was the only player to earn a 50 in the first round with a ridiculous through-the-legs dunk off the bounce.

In the final round, Tucker missed two attempts at a through-the-legs 360 dunk. But his back-up plan was good enough for the victory.

Tucker jumped over a ball-boy, who was holding the ball over his head, and threw down an amazing reverse dunk.

"It's unbelievable, just because a lot of these other guys here are D-I players," Tucker said after the contest. "They're used to being on the national stage, and this dunk contest, to their schools, didn't necessarily mean as much. To be able to represent my school on a national stage is a real honor."

Scroll down to watch the video.

WATCH:

Comments

[ComicBooksandPolitics]

02:25 AM on 04/04/2011

I hate to be a sour puss.. but If this dude was a brotha, these would be considered average dunks and he would not have won this contest.

[ComicBooksandPolitics]

02:41 AM on 04/04/2011

To prove it, everyone is all emotional about this guy doing a 360 dunk, which I have done before, and I'm 6' tall.. so it's not a big deal.

There's actually footage in youtube of a guy doing a 720 dunk! In game!... but no one ever posted that here on Huff post.. Hmmm.. I wonder why?

[EqualMeansEqual]

12:32 AM on 04/05/2011

You don't have the athleticism that he does nor the vertical.

He won the NCAA dunk contest and he is white. Your just going to have to deal that a shorter white dude is better than you,

[ComicBooksandPolitics]

02:57 AM on 04/04/2011

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBe1s3GSnaw&feature=relmfu

In this video, (which is totally NOT waste of time), the guy combines two of Jacob Turners dunks into one. He does a reverse 360, and puts the ball between his legs.... in game!

[EqualMeansEqual]

12:38 AM on 04/05/2011

Cry all you want the Jacob had the best dunks at the NCAA dunk contest.

And jacob's video before the contest is better than anything you posted.

And of course you over look(because of your hate and/or low IQ) that the guy is alot taller.

Your just jealous that this dude would dunk all over you and likely take your girl from you. He is likely smarter than you too.

[HUM-V]

09:43 PM on 04/03/2011

Can he shoot,dribble, and pass as well?

[Raw Ron]

12:47 PM on 04/03/2011

No doubt the man git ups, but can he play at the professional level?

[sloreader]

12:16 PM on 04/02/2011

Jumping Jacob Tucker

[sjcarl]

10:45 AM on 04/02/2011

Awesome! Congratulations, Jacob Tucker and little Illinois College.

[Quotidien]

07:03 AM on 04/02/2011

That's a very light-skinned black man

[Hard2kill]

09:37 PM on 04/01/2011

Far better than than one fro Clippers...

[MXL]

08:02 PM on 04/01/2011

White Flight. This kid can jump out of the gym but he'll never make it on the big stage. Can you say, "Harold Miner"?

[OrlandoBuilder]

01:05 AM on 04/02/2011

do not count him out yet...remember Spud Webb and He was only 5'6"

[Spartan112]

02:08 PM on 04/02/2011

I don't think he expects to, he went to a DIII school.

[MXL]

01:13 PM on 04/03/2011

True, but stranger things have happened. I mean, Devean George went to D-III Augsburg College and he ended up with a ring. Unlikely, but it's not everyday that a White kid with showtime hops comes through the ranks. He could end up being a fan favorite like Chris "Birdman" Andersen. That might be enough to earn him league minimum with a smaller market team. The NBA is a crazy business.

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

06:34 PM on 04/01/2011

I had seen his videos a few weeks ago. Wh!te men CAN jump.

Jumping doesn't necessarily come from the legs. To thrust upward momentum from your upper body is equally, if not more important, than your legs. Judging by his build, you can see he not only has stocky legs, but a stocky upper body that he's learned to compress and explode with the right timing and velocity to propel or spring him upward. No l!e. When I was younger, at 5' 11", I was able to hit my head on the rim and get an elbow to the rim. I was about 155 lbs then and was on the cross country track team and rode a lot of bikes. But it was only when I learned the timing and learned to use my solar plexus to compress, then explode; throwing my entire upper body into the ascension, that I was able to start getting a wrist, then elbow to the rim. I could never palm the ball, so I had to cup it. That's why I had to learn to get more than a wrist over the rim in order to dunk. Athletic will is also a huge portion too. Belief that you can is more than half of the equation, that and a lot of practice.

Well deserved win.

[Jessrivian]

07:16 PM on 04/01/2011

"Jumping doesn't necessarily come from the legs.To thrust upward momentum from your upper body is equally, if not more important, than your legs." -- Wrong.

"When I was younger, at 5' 11", I was able to hit my head on the rim and get an elbow to the rim."

I do not believe you. This kid can't hit his head on the rim. Very few NBA players (if any) can hit their head on the rim.

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

08:02 PM on 04/01/2011

I don't care what you believe, actually, and I didn't say Jacob could hit his head on the rim, did I? I said I could, and I still have the mark from gashing my head on the rim way back in the late 1970's. You could add athletic ability and adrenaline to the reason I was able to do that at that time in my life; plus my light weight of 155 lbs back then. However, I don't think you've ever experienced the combination of athleticism and adrenaline. You DO know about adrenaline, don't you? I could block the shots of people much taller than I was back then. I'm not bragging. That was eons ago.

But if you've ever spent any time on a basketball court, you'd see that many can jump high enough to put their heads to the rim, at least where I grew up in the DC/Maryland area.

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

08:08 PM on 04/01/2011

So, you honestly think people like MJ, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Blake Griffin and even people shorter like Stevie Francis, Allen Iverson, etc., were incapable of getting half their arm above the rim and/or their elbow to the rim? I'm not saying they all could, but you'd be surprised what trained athletes are able to accomplish in their primes. I don't know how you're built, but the top of my head is at my elbow when I lift my arm up above my head. When you saw Vince Carter and others like Blake Griffin perform the dunk and then hang on the rim by the fold in their arm, where do you think the top of their head is and why do they have to duck their heads to the side? Maybe you have shorter arms and no neck.

Jeez.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHtFJA2RFu0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDHnxj9PsTw

[r 12ok]

06:06 PM on 04/01/2011

As sweet as these guys dunks are.. I think Nate Robinson still got him.. Robinson only 5'9!

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

06:36 PM on 04/01/2011

I could agree to a certain extent, however, Jacob didn't need as many attempts and that's always going to give you a better perception. I don't like it when the athletes need multiple attempts to pull off their dunks. It takes away from the excitement.

[r 12ok]

06:03 PM on 04/01/2011

So I guess "White Men CAN Jump"

Nice dunks!

[O K Ali]

05:03 PM on 04/01/2011

Good job!

[desmoinesdude]

04:36 PM on 04/01/2011

White Flight!

[Benjamin J Grimm III]

06:36 PM on 04/01/2011

: )

[themanchild27]

04:13 PM on 04/01/2011

but...butbutbut hes white?

[RusStyles]

04:09 PM on 04/01/2011

I'm more impressed with the coordination and creativity of the dunks than his leaping ability. He didn't jump extraordinarily high, what he did was execute flawlessly. In other words, their are athletes who can jump much higher, but lack the body control and timing to pull off those dunks, which makes his dunks that much more impressive.

[TGNY]

04:33 PM on 04/01/2011

Plus he is 5'10 not 6'4

[Spartan112]

02:14 PM on 04/02/2011

50" vertical leap, yeah...he does jump extraordinarily high, Jordan's vert was 48".

[RusStyles]

05:17 PM on 04/02/2011

It's all relative..I've seen many higher jumpers in the city (NY), so, yes, he has above-average hops, but my point was there are higher jumpers who can't do what he did. Not debate if he's an extraordinary leaper. When I played in college I could get both elbows over the rim without a running start at 6'3", but I doubt if I could perform some of those trick dunks. Of course, besides their oooh-ahhhh value, there's not much benefit to them...