Fresno State Athletics
Watson throws down huge dunk in Final Four contest
3/30/2017 9:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Fresno State’s Paul Watson competed in the 2017 College Slam dunk contest at the Final Four in Phoenix.
PHOENIX --- Fresno State senior guard/forward Paul Watson threw down a huge windmill dunk in the opening round of the 2017 Denny's College Slam dunk contest on campus at Grand Canyon University on Thursday night in Phoenix.
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Watson, who was one of eight dunkers invited to compete in the elite national competition at the Final Four, scored a 41.1 to finish seventh.  Watson is originally from Phoenix.
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"It was an honor to be invited to compete in this event, especially with it being in my hometown," Watson said. "I really enjoyed my experience at Fresno State and appreciate the support of our fans. This was a fun ride and we are proud of the foundation that we helped build for the program."
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Watson was a four-year starter for Fresno State, who is one of eight teams on the West Coast to make postseason appearances (NCAA or NIT) in each of the last two seasons. He helped lead the Bulldogs to postseason appearances in three of his four seasons.
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Watson scored 1,361 career points to finish his career 16th in program history in scoring. He played in 135 career games with 128 starts, and earned 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors.
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"Paul is a wonderful ambassador for Fresno State," Fresno State head coach Rodney Terry said. "I'm really happy for Paul that he was selected to compete in this prestigious event. This is something that he will remember for the rest of his life. I'm very proud of all he accomplished as a Bulldog."
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"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
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Watson, who was one of eight dunkers invited to compete in the elite national competition at the Final Four, scored a 41.1 to finish seventh.  Watson is originally from Phoenix.
Â
"It was an honor to be invited to compete in this event, especially with it being in my hometown," Watson said. "I really enjoyed my experience at Fresno State and appreciate the support of our fans. This was a fun ride and we are proud of the foundation that we helped build for the program."
Â
Watson was a four-year starter for Fresno State, who is one of eight teams on the West Coast to make postseason appearances (NCAA or NIT) in each of the last two seasons. He helped lead the Bulldogs to postseason appearances in three of his four seasons.
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Watson scored 1,361 career points to finish his career 16th in program history in scoring. He played in 135 career games with 128 starts, and earned 2013-14 Mountain West Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors.
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"Paul is a wonderful ambassador for Fresno State," Fresno State head coach Rodney Terry said. "I'm really happy for Paul that he was selected to compete in this prestigious event. This is something that he will remember for the rest of his life. I'm very proud of all he accomplished as a Bulldog."
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"Just the Ticket to Build Our Community" – The Bulldog Scholarship Fund gives Bulldog alumni, fans and friends the opportunity to support Fresno State Athletics and the student-athletes who inspire them. For information about how you can support the Bulldog Scholarship Fund, please visit www.bulldogscholarshipfund.com or call 559-278-7160.
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