CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR DeVAUGHN AKOON-PURCELL
(Vote once per day)
CHICAGO – A spot in the "State Farm Dark Horse Dunker" semifinals is on the line, as Illinois State senior guard DeVaughn Akoon-Purcell faces Tarleton State University's Michael Hardge. By earning 54.3 percent of the fan vote in his first-round matchup against Oral Robers' Brandon Conley, Akoon-Purcell advanced to the competition's quarterfinal round.
Fans can vote daily between now and Wednesday, Feb. 24 for Akoon-Purcell who is one of eight remaining finalists for the State Farm "Dark Horse Dunker" Competition. The winner will earn a spot in the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, held at the Final Four, March 31, in Houston.
The State Farm "Dark Horse Dunker" competition is a digital media contest that matches up 16 of the top college dunkers in a bracket-style competition to determine the final participant in the Slam Dunk Championship. Fans will determine the winner by voting daily at DarkHorseDunker.com throughout the four-week competition. The athlete with the most votes in each matchup will move on to the next round. Video highlight reels of each competitor on the website will help fans determine their choice.
The player who 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, held annually in the Final Four host city. The 2016 State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships will air live on ESPN during the Final Four weekend at 8 p.m. CT on March 31 in Houston.
The 16 "Dark Horse Dunkers" participating in the contest were selected by a committee representing the State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships. Former Redbird guard Tyler Brown was a "Dark Horse Dunker" finalist in 2013. He advanced to the championship round before narrowly falling to High Point's Corey Law.
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