Slam Dunkers

[waterhead]

I will start the thread for best slam dunkers too with a short list right now. Feel free to add to this list as you see fit. I am sure I will be missing a few.

Martin
Levett
Bostic
White
Jones
Maxiell
Hicks
Blount
Patterson
Johnson
Little

This was put together very quickly so I'm sorry if I have left off one or two of the greats. Please add them if you want.

My top 5 with little thought.

Martin (Power and athleticism)
Levett (extreme jumper)
Patterson (a little finesse)
White (another extreme jumper)
Max (straight power)

By the way I saw where UC had at least two dunks on the top 50 dunks of all time Best Damn Sports Show. They may have had more but I saw 2. We will see who else saw that episode and maybe we can rank the top 5 dunks of all time for UC.

[UCbball21]

Levett and White were the best IMO, I probably would give White the nod after hearing him land a between the legs dunk from the half court line or a two handed dunk from the half court line. Darnell Wilks could be mentioned after his career at Cincy...

[lt7784]

My top 5:
1. James White - although not the best in games, he does dunks nobody can do in dunk contests.
2. Mel Levett - 42.5 inch vertical. Best dunker off 2 feet.
3. Kenyon - very intimidating dunker.
4. Max - nothing fancy, just threw it down hard.
5. Hicks - same as above.

As for the best dunk ever, it has to be Mel's rebound-dunk when he swings around on the rim. After that, probably one of White's break-away windmills.

[Big B]

I would have to go with Mel twice. First time when he jumped over a golf cart I think in one of the march madness and of course his game winning dunk against Duke.

[waterhead]

Well the two dunks that made the Best Damn Sports Show 50 greatest dunks were:

Levet's gravity defying one arm rebound slam dunk and hang and twist on the rim. One of the greatest rebounding dunks of all time!

White's amazing jump from the free throw line two hand dunk into the back of the rim during slam dunk competition. There are only a few people on the entire planet who can pull that one off.

As far as in a game goes I would have to give the nod to Levet.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

Well the two dunks that made the Best Damn Sports Show 50 greatest dunks were:

Levet's gravity defying one arm rebound slam dunk and hang and twist on the rim. One of the greatest rebounding dunks of all time!

White's amazing jump from the free throw line two hand dunk into the back of the rim during slam dunk competition. There are only a few people on the entire planet who can pull that one off.

As far as in a game goes I would have to give the nod to Levet.

Melvin. No one else on his planet as a UC dunker in recent (20) years.

[loshow22]

White floated through the air at 6'7...and he did it with grace. Mel was only 6'3/6'4 and he got up and stayed there awhile. He told me he really wanted to go head to head with Vince Carter, but Carter went pro. I wonder if that offer still stands. Mel is my favorite! Anyone ever see Fletch dunk? Not that he did it with grace, but the only time i can remember him dunking was on a fast break at Oklahoma, the play was dead though :)

[waterhead]

White floated through the air at 6'7...and he did it with grace. Mel was only 6'3/6'4 and he got up and stayed there awhile. He told me he really wanted to go head to head with Vince Carter, but Carter went pro. I wonder if that offer still stands. Mel is my favorite! Anyone ever see Fletch dunk? Not that he did it with grace, but the only time i can remember him dunking was on a fast break at Oklahoma, the play was dead though :)

Ryan Fletcher...or Fletch 6'2...6'9 with the afro?;)

[loshow22]

He came to UC at about 6'4 a buck 190 and left at 6'8 240, with 19 inch guns! a boy became a man........did you ever see Brannen dunk? :)

[nachoman91]

He came to UC at about 6'4 a buck 190 and left at 6'8 240, with 19 inch guns! a boy became a man........did you ever see Brannen dunk? :)


Bobby Branned record a total of ZERO dunks in his UC career.

[jplog]

I go with Levett for the slam dunk. He was Mr. Inconsistant from outside but he rarely let you down with his dunks.

[waterhead]

He came to UC at about 6'4 a buck 190 and left at 6'8 240, with 19 inch guns! a boy became a man........did you ever see Brannen dunk? :)

I was referring to Fletch the movie:) There is a scene where Fletch is in a Laker uniform (I think) while he is dreaming and he has a huge afro. The announcer says he is 6'2" tall or something like that but 6'9" with the afro.

Classic!

[levydl]

Mel Levett had more dunks in games and had some great ones, but even he wasn't as good a dunker as James White. The guy can do things that literally no one else can do. Does anyone remember when he went between his legs from the foul line at midnight madness? He missed it several times before he put it down, but he got it. Levett over the golf cart was pretty freaking impressive, but through the legs from the foul line?!?!? He'll win the NBA dunk contest if they ever let him in.

[loshow22]

K-Mart also had some nasty dunks! He was just so quick to get up and ran the floor super well.

[jeffto]

Was Fortson a dunker. I don't remember.

And, BTW youngsters, we'll not be bringing up the old-timers because dunking wasn't allowed. :)

[The real Bearcat Fan]

The best two dunks I remember are the one Mel did when he dunked over the golf cart and James White when he went in between his legs and dunked leaving from the free throw line. They are far and away the two best dunkers.

[The real Bearcat Fan]

Was Fortson a dunker. I don't remember.

And, BTW youngsters, we'll not be bringing up the old-timers because dunking wasn't allowed. :)

Danny Fortson was not a tremendous jumper he did dunk but his dunks were more the standard dunk not a lot of flashiness to his dunks.

[MikeInClifton]

I think in-game dunks get extra points, compared to Mid Mad or practice dunks.

With that in mind, Melvin's 'Grim Leaper' Classic off D'Juan Baker's missed trey is the all time best. I can still hear Anthony Buford screaming and I can still see Bobby Brannen trying to avoid being killed under the basket from Levett's knee's as they swung past his head.

That dunk was a perfect match of -
Opportunity + Timing + Mel's Calf Muscles = Unforgettable

Second is Mel's dunk to win the Duke game off the 'home run' play. But that dunk was because of what the dunk meant, as opposed to any style points for the dunk itself.

James White is a wonderfully blessed freak of nature, but Mel gets my top two.

[FleXcursion]

http://img123.imageshack.us/img123/4875/levettwt2.jpg

Mel over the golf cart!

[waterhead]

Let's take the body and jumping ability of James "The Flight" White, add a little of Kmart's power, then top it off with a little Levet-ation style.

There you have the perfect dunking machine!

[jon b]

This is kind of a funny thread. There was a guy who stopped posting a few years ago during a similar thread because not everyone thought JW was the best dunker ever.

DF, that thread has to be in the archives. Sounds like a mission should you chose to accept it!

BTW, I still think it has to be in game which makes it Mel. JW can't compete with Mel's overall in game arsenal.

[JBHarrison]

Absolutely no doubt in my mind. Mel was the man in games and to my eyes was more impressive in exhibition settings than JW. Only question in my mind:
What happened to Mel in the slamdunk competition at Final Four time his last year? As I recall, ESPN did an odd editing job on the replay I saw,and Mel was gone.

[waterhead]

I think the results are in.

Mel gets the most votes followed closely by White and in third place Kmart.

When Kmart is the 3rd on any list I think it's a pretty good list.

Mel seems to get most if not all the votes for best in game dunks. In my opinion he had the best overall flare for making a dunk look spectacular. Just being able to jump high doesn't mean you will look good slamming the ball. Mel had that extra "playground" quality to drop your jaw...did I just see what I think I saw?

White was getting the most votes for "in contest" dunks which is hard to debate since he could leap over small buildings and given enough attempts might have been able to dunk from the three point line:) The only thing lacking in his arsenal may have been the power finish. He was a finesse guy.

Kmart was also one of the great jumpers in UC history among other things. He certainly gets the vote for the power dunk. I think Max could throw down just as hard but Kmart's leaping ability added another dimension to his dunks. Best two hand dunker hands down. He also had that extra flare to hang on the rim just long enough not to draw a penalty.

[Kindog202]

I remember watching Kenyon dunk and comparing it to some of the video games out now where the character throws down a dunk and rips the rim from the backboard. The way he would attack the rim, it wouldn't have surprised me if he did rip the rim off the backboard. Straight viciousness and power.

[lt7784]

Here's a few videos w/ the Helicopter from 2006...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD-8lNEqiXc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnyvFKCPig8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dl3ZR6u9cc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdusAdFzWo8

He makes it look so easy.

He is an assistant basketball coach at Miami University Middletown now...

[UCEE73]

I think in-game dunks get extra points, compared to Mid Mad or practice dunks.

With that in mind, Melvin's 'Grim Leaper' Classic off D'Juan Baker's missed trey is the all time best. I can still hear Anthony Buford screaming and I can still see Bobby Brannen trying to avoid being killed under the basket from Levett's knee's as they swung past his head.

That dunk was a perfect match of -
Opportunity + Timing + Mel's Calf Muscles = Unforgettable

Second is Mel's dunk to win the Duke game off the 'home run' play. But that dunk was because of what the dunk meant, as opposed to any style points for the dunk itself.

James White is a wonderfully blessed freak of nature, but Mel gets my top two.

Melvin is my all time favorite UC dunker for the same resons.

Hicks is my #2 for his spectacular, surprising, offensive-rebound dunks.