Simmons Heads to Dark Horse Dunker Finals
Mar 10, 2014 | Men's Basketball
OMAHA, Neb. – Senior guard Justin Simmons is one of two candidates to advance to the finals of the 2014 “State Farm Dark Horse Dunker” competition, it was announced Monday by Intersport, producers of the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships. Simmons will now vie for a spot in the College Slam Dunk Championships in April.
The State Farm Dark Horse Dunker is a bracket-style elimination competition. For the final round, which is open one week, pairs Simmons against Marcus Lewis of Eastern Kentucky. The champion will be announced March 17 and compete at the 26th annual College Slam Dunk Championship in Dallas on April 3. Fans can view a video of each dunker and cast their vote daily at http://bit.ly/1ls5FZo.
Voting began Feb. 10 with 16 finalists, and Simmons won his Round One matchup against Deonte Jones of Texas Wesleyan. Round Two, which began Feb. 24, pitted Simmons head-to-head against Brison White of Northwestern State, and Simmons pulled off a last-minute win by just 40 votes. In the semi-final round that started March 3, Simmons got past Jordan Adams of Western State with a 70-vote differential.
The two remaining finalists hail from schools outside the national spotlight and possess the leaping ability, creativity, and power to compete against college basketball's stars in the Slam Dunk Championship. Fans determine the winner by voting daily on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CollegeSlam) throughout the five-week competition.
In support of Simmons as a Dark Horse Dunker candidate, fans can vote daily on the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships Facebook page. When posting on social media, fans are also encouraged to use the hashtag #Socks4SlamDunk, a nod to Simmons' nickname on and off the court, “Socks.”
Previous “State Farm Dark Horse Dunker” winners include Corey Law (High Point University) in 2013, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012. The 2011 winner, Jacob Tucker (Illinois College), went on to win the Slam Dunk Championship.
About State Farm®
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports and entertainment-based marketing platforms. Intersport creates unique content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences through four divisions: Sponsorship & Event Marketing, Sports Properties, Sports & Entertainment Content (for broadcast and digital media), and CelebTV. These experiences range from the ultra-exclusive to the biggest stages in sports and entertainment. Intersport also owns and operates several annual, televised events including the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game, the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, the Hockey City Classic, the All-Star Football Challenge. To learn more about Intersport, log on to www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/IntersportBuzz) or follow us on Twitter (@IntersportBuzz).
###
The State Farm Dark Horse Dunker is a bracket-style elimination competition. For the final round, which is open one week, pairs Simmons against Marcus Lewis of Eastern Kentucky. The champion will be announced March 17 and compete at the 26th annual College Slam Dunk Championship in Dallas on April 3. Fans can view a video of each dunker and cast their vote daily at http://bit.ly/1ls5FZo.
Voting began Feb. 10 with 16 finalists, and Simmons won his Round One matchup against Deonte Jones of Texas Wesleyan. Round Two, which began Feb. 24, pitted Simmons head-to-head against Brison White of Northwestern State, and Simmons pulled off a last-minute win by just 40 votes. In the semi-final round that started March 3, Simmons got past Jordan Adams of Western State with a 70-vote differential.
The two remaining finalists hail from schools outside the national spotlight and possess the leaping ability, creativity, and power to compete against college basketball's stars in the Slam Dunk Championship. Fans determine the winner by voting daily on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/CollegeSlam) throughout the five-week competition.
In support of Simmons as a Dark Horse Dunker candidate, fans can vote daily on the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships Facebook page. When posting on social media, fans are also encouraged to use the hashtag #Socks4SlamDunk, a nod to Simmons' nickname on and off the court, “Socks.”
Previous “State Farm Dark Horse Dunker” winners include Corey Law (High Point University) in 2013, James Justice (Martin Methodist College) in 2012. The 2011 winner, Jacob Tucker (Illinois College), went on to win the Slam Dunk Championship.
About State Farm®
State Farm and its affiliates are the largest provider of car insurance in the U.S. and is a leading insurer in Canada. In addition to providing auto insurance quotes, their 17,800 agents and more than 65,000 employees serve 81 million policies and accounts – more than 79 million auto, home, life and health policies in the United States and Canada, and nearly 2 million bank accounts. Commercial auto insurance, along with coverage for renters, business owners, boats and motorcycles, is also available. State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company is the parent of the State Farm family of companies. State Farm is ranked No. 43 on the Fortune 500 list of largest companies. For more information, please visit http://www.statefarm.com or in Canada http://www.statefarm.ca.
About Intersport
Since 1985, Intersport has been an award-winning innovator and leader in the creation of sports and entertainment-based marketing platforms. Intersport creates unique content and experiences that attract and engage passionate audiences through four divisions: Sponsorship & Event Marketing, Sports Properties, Sports & Entertainment Content (for broadcast and digital media), and CelebTV. These experiences range from the ultra-exclusive to the biggest stages in sports and entertainment. Intersport also owns and operates several annual, televised events including the Under Armour All-America High School Football Game, the College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, the Hockey City Classic, the All-Star Football Challenge. To learn more about Intersport, log on to www.intersportnet.com, like us on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/IntersportBuzz) or follow us on Twitter (@IntersportBuzz).
###
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballTuesday, September 01
Wednesday, August 26
Friday, August 21
Tuesday, April 21
