AZUSA, Calif. — The secret is officially out. Azusa Pacific forward Shad Thomas, who has spent the 2025-26 season terrorizing PacWest rims and rewriting the record books, has been named one of 16 finalists for the 2026 State Farm® Dark Horse Dunker competition.

The annual fan-vote contest, produced by Intersport, identifies the nation's most "under-the-radar" high-flyers from all levels of college basketball. The winner of the four-week bracket-style tournament earns the ultimate prize: a spot in the 37th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships, which will be held in Indianapolis on April 3 and broadcast nationally on ESPN.

A Season of Dominance

Thomas's inclusion in the field comes as no surprise to those who have followed the Cougars this season. Thomas has been the "engine" of the Azusa Pacific squad, leading the team in scoring (15.0 PPG) and the entire PacWest in rebounding (10.0 RPG).

His season has been a walking highlight reel, characterized by elite athleticism and defensive intensity. Thomas earned PacWest Player of the Month honors in both January and February, and was named the conference Defender of the Week for three consecutive weeks in February. His most notable performance came against Hawai'i Pacific, where he hauled in a staggering 22 rebounds—the second-highest single-game total in PacWest history. Whether it was a 29-point outburst at Hawaii Hilo or a massive 21-point, 15-rebound, 5-steal game at Westmont, Thomas has proven he is one of the most versatile and explosive athletes in the country.

How to Vote

Thomas's journey to Indianapolis is now in the hands of the fans. The competition is a bracket-style format, with winners determined by social media voting on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

• Where to Vote: Follow @CollegeSlam on X and @College_Slam on Instagram.

• The Schedule:

  • Round One: March 2 – March 6 (Voting begins today at Noon CT!)

  • Quarterfinals: March 9 – March 13

  • Semifinals: March 16 – March 20

  • Finals: March 23 – March 27

Fans can vote on X throughout the duration of each round, while the Instagram voting window opens for the final 24 hours of each week.

The Stakes

If Thomas wins the fan vote, he will follow in the footsteps of legendary "Dark Horse" winners like Marcus Lewis (Eastern Kentucky) and Jacob Tucker (Illinois College), both of whom went on to win the entire Slam Dunk Championship.

Cougar Nation, it's time to mobilize. Let's send the most dominant rebounder in the PacWest to the biggest stage in college basketball.

CLICK HERE to cast your vote for Shad Thomas on X/Twitter!
CLICK HERE to cast your vote for Shad Thomas on Instagram!