Hason Ward

AMES — Iowa State’s Hason Ward has been selected to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest at the annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships in Phoenix this week.

Grand Canyon University and Global Credit Union Arena will host the 35th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk & 3-Point Championships on Thursday night 8 p.m., tipping off college basketball’s most exciting weekend. The event will air live on ESPN.

Ward just wrapped up his fifth year of college basketball, playing the final two in Ames. He tallied a team-leading 33 dunks this season and had 51 over his two years with the Cyclones. In 28 games this year, Ward averaged 6.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting.628 from the field. For his career, he scored 658 points, averaging 5.1 per game on .597 shooting. He totaled 479 rebounds, 162 blocks and 92 steals.

Twenty-four of the nation’s elite men’s and women’s college basketball players will compete for slam dunk and 3-point shooting bragging rights.

Ward is the first Cyclone to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest. Previously, Donovan Jackson (2018), Nazareth Mitrou-Long (2017), Tyrus McGee (2013), Dedric Willoughby (1997) and Fred Hoiberg (1995) have participated in the 3-point contest at the event.