Boca Raton, Florida - After two weeks of voting, Branden Ellis has been chosen as the winner of the Dark Horse Dunker competition. As the winner, Ellis will now compete in the Great Clips Slam Dunk Championship against some of the best collegiate dunkers in the nation on Mar. 31 at Xavier University of Louisiana. The event will be broadcast live on ESPN at 9 p.m. As the only smaller school representative at the competition, Ellis plans on leaving his nerves home, while he pursues a title.
"Going up against the best talent in the country doesn't make me nervous, because I'm confident in what I can do," Ellis said. "I haven't been on a channel like ESPN, but this is going to be really cool. It's going to be good for Lynn, myself, and my brand. I'm excited that I can end my basketball career this way."
When asked if just qualifying for the event was enough, Ellis made it clear that it wasn't.
"I'm definitely looking to win," Ellis said. "I'm undefeated in dunk contests in my life. Granted I've only been in five, but I don't plan on losing this one. "
To get into the event, Ellis had to win a fan vote against five other dunkers. The Fighting Knight, who has over 94,000 followers on TikTok, said he took a strategic approach to the fan vote segment of the competition.
"I had different communication strategies that I implemented," he shared. "I posted things at different times to get different audiences that I have to vote. I didn't think it was in the bag, but I thought that if I really put in the work to try to get people to vote, then I would have a better chance than the other people I was competing against."
It's this same strategic approach that Ellis will look to use to secure victory on March 31.
"My strategy is going to try to be to appeal to the whole event," Ellis said. "I might not be the person who jumps the absolute highest or anything, but with an entertainment and content creation background, I'm going to bring some unique dunks. I've been practicing different run-ups. I do like my chances. I'm an unconventional dunker. I jump off my right foot but I'm right-handed, which makes all of my dunks look unique."
The Salm Dunk Championship will kick off the Final Four festivities in New Orleans, and Ellis is hoping that the fans in attendance are as ready to go as he is.
"To be able to be the event that kickstarts the Final Four is going to be amazing. Hopefully, the atmosphere in the arena is packed and loud. I feed off energy, so if I can get that from the fans, then I'll be able to elevate just a little higher."
Ellis will compete against a yet to be determined field live on Thursday, Mar. 31 at 9 p.m. on ESPN.
About the Lynn University Fighting Knights
Lynn's NCAA Division II Fighting Knights have won 25 national titles, 14 individual national titles, and 47 conference championships. The Blue and White are a member of the Sunshine State Conference, the Division II "Conference of National Champions." Lynn University is an independent college based in Boca Raton, Florida. U.S. News & World Report has recognized Lynn for its innovation, international students and value. To keep up to date on Lynn Athletics, follow @Lynn_Knights on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
