PHOENIZ, Ariz. (March 4) – California (PA) senior forward
Jermaine Hall, Jr. has been selected as one of 16 finalists for the 2024 State Farm Dark Horse Dunker competition announced on Monday afternoon.
Hall will compete in a four-week, social media fan-voting competition with the winner having the chance to compete against NCAA Division I standouts in the King's Hawaiian College Slam Dunk Championship on April 4 in Phoenix, Arizona.
As a senior, Hall ranks third on the Vulcans in scoring at 12.3 points per game this season. He also sits among the top 15 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) with 6.2 rebounds and 1.46 steals per game. A former All-PSAC West selection, Hall has helped the Cal debut in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Top 25 Coaches' Poll for the first time since 2008 while also posting its winningest season in over 15 years. The Baltimore native currently ranks No. 19 all-time in scoring with 1,288 points.
Fans will determine the winner by voting on the event's X/formerly Twitter (@CollegeSlam) and Instagram (@College_Slam) channels in a bracket-style competition. First-round voting on X begins today at 1 p.m. EST and runs through Friday, March 8, at 1 p.m. EST. Additional votes will be accepted on Instagram over the final 24 hours each week. The player with the most votes in each matchup will move on to the next round. The final round will take place March 25-29.
The schedule for each voting round will go as follows:
• First Round: March 4 at Noon CT through March 8 at Noon CT (16 Players)
• Quarterfinals: March 11 at Noon CT through March 15 at Noon CT (8 Players)
• Semifinals: March 18 at Noon CT through March 22 at Noon CT (4 Players)
• Finals: March 25 at Noon CT through March 29 at Noon CT (2 Players)
The player that ultimately receives the most votes in the final round will be selected to compete in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, an event featuring some of the best college dunkers and three-point shooters in the country. The 2024 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will air live on ESPN during college championship weekend in Phoenix, Arizona, on April 4 at 6 p.m. MST.
Hall will compete alongside the following NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA players for the final spot in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships.
• Christian Adams, LeTourneau
• Akol Arop, Florida Southern
• Andre Ball, Cal State Dominguez Hills
• Ryan Davis, Ripon College
• Collen Gurley, Mount Union
•
Jermaine Hall, Jr., California (PA)
• Brendon Hamilton, Westfield State
• David McCullough, Florida Tech
• Tim Moore, Benedict
• Ikenna Okeke, Missouri S&T
• Jake O'Neil, College of Idaho
• JJ Ramey, University of the Cumberlands
• Ali Sabet, Loras
• Elijah Simmons, Ottawa University Arizona
• Kendrick Tchoua, Indianapolis
• Malik Whitaker, Fort Lewis
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.
For more information about the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships follow them on X (
@CollegeSLAM) and Instagram (
@college_slam).
