Wallace standout performs in dunk contest

Updated: March 29, 2011 11:38AM

There are plenty of all-world dunkers once you leave the friendly confines of Northwest Indiana.

Or even just Indiana.

Branden Dawson discovered that Monday in the McDonald's Jam Fest competition, which is a precursor to the McDonald's All-Star game on Wednesday.

Dawson stood out because, at 6-5, he was one of the shorter players on the court.

Dawson failed to advance out of the qualifying round of the made-for-ESPN special.

Dawson had the unfortunate luck of following LeBryan Nash and Marshall Plumlee, the two top finishers. Nash won the contest, surprising the crowd because Plumlee, who is going to Duke, was really good.

Dawson missed at his first attempt (participants had 45 seconds to finish a dunk) than he finished with a whirlwind dunk and then a one-handed whirlwind. It all added up to 113 points. Only three of the qualifiers out of eight advanced to the championship round.

Dawson didn't care. He had a healthy cheering section there.

"This was fun," he said.

The key to a good dunk? Creativity combined with execution.

The first set of bring-the-house-down dunks belonged to Plumlee, an Indiana native who will play with his brother at Duke.

Plumlee started from the left-side, outside the 3-point line and ran along the baseline. One of his teammates bounced the ball off the backboard and he swooped it up with his right hand in one motion and slammed it over his head. Plumlee's first dunk was almost as spectacular.

After throwing the ball in the air, he slapped the backboard with his left hand, grabbed the ball with his right and jammed it home with a whirlwind over his head.

Most observers felt like Plumlee actually won.

Nash's A-list dunk came when he jumped over Adonis Thomas, a 6-7 forward, and did a scissors kick, then slammed it home.

His finishing dunk came with a big floppy Styrofoam hat on.

"I thought he (Plumlee) should've won," Dawson said. "LeBryan was creative."

Even Nash was a little surprised that he took home the hardware. Nash, who is from Texas, is going to play at Oklahoma State next year.

"He's a great dunker," he said. "He's a 7-0 footer that can really dunk. The judges just thought I was better. I think I earned it."

The show-stopper in the preliminary round came from Austin Rivers, son of Boston Celtics head coach Glenn "Doc' Rivers. Rivers ripped off his black McDonald's jersey, revealing an Atlanta Hawks jersey - same one that his father wore when he played in the NBA.

Rivers, who is going to play for Duke next year, started from out of bounds on the left side of the floor, bounced the ball and then did a 180 before grabbing the ball and dunking it.

Rivers, however, took the high risk option, having a teammate throw the ball in from the upper deck. He never was able to finish the dunk.

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