In this article, we rate the greatest dunks in Indiana Basketball recent history.
Assembly Hall has witnessed some incredible feats of athleticism during its existence. Yesterday, we made a list of the best dunkers and shooters to play for Indiana since 2000, and today we are listing the top dunks since 2000. Let’s waste no time and jump right into it.
5. Victor Oladipo 360°
At number five is Victor Oladipo’s high-flying 360° against Illinois in the 2012-2013 Big Ten Tournament. You see very few 360°s even in the NBA, and much less so at the college level. However, if anyone could pull it off, it would be Oladipo.
Up 16 points with just under two minutes left in the game, Oladipo said, “Why not?” and went for one of the highest degrees of difficulty dunks in basketball, executing it flawlessly. For any breakaway dunk to make a top five dunk list, it has to be pretty freaking cool (considering it’s the easiest play in basketball). In this case, it’s more than cool — it’s awesome.
4. OG Anunoby alley-oop against North Carolina
A high stakes game is the perfect time to make a splash with a thunderous dunk. A sophomore OG Anunoby did just that in a Big Ten/ACC challenge battle with third-ranked North Carolina.
Point guard Josh Newkirk drives down the left side of the court and draws the defense’s attention. Meanwhile, Anunoby has beaten the defense in transition and lingers in the short corner on the opposite side of the court. He puts his hand up to call for the lob, Newkirk spots him as he approaches the three-point line and throws it over the top of two UNC defenders.
Anunoby reaches up to the rafters for the ball. He catches it without a clean grip at the top of the square on the backboard, but that doesn’t deter him from putting it through the hoop.
The crowd explodes as Indiana takes an emphatic 12-point lead and Dick Vitale loses his mind.
What makes this dunk so nasty is how Anunoby corrals a pretty bad pass and turns it into a highlight dunk at a critical juncture in the game. It’s absolutely filthy.