Cyclone fans have seen some spectacular and memorable dunks from their current men’s basketball squad. However, few fans know the stories behind those players’ first attempts at conquering the art of the dunk.

From Craig Brackins knocking himself unconscious when he first dunked at age 12 to Cameron Lee dunking in a game as only a 5-foot-6-inch sophomore in high school, ISU players have a variety of humorous and incredible stories about their first dunk.

Rahshon Clark, who first began mastering his craft at a playground in Queens, New York, said his first dunk in a game came was when he was in high school.

“If you’re high enough up in the air, you just dunk it,” said Clark, who boasts a 39-inch vertical. “[My first dunk] was in a high school game. I don’t remember all the specifics, but it was nothing spectacular, just a one-hand dunk.”

Since that first dunk, Clark has been busy making a name for himself around the Big 12 as one of the most fearless and athletic dunkers around.

“Every time I go to the basket, I want to dunk. If you have that mindset – that you’re going to the basket hard – then you’re either going to get fouled or you’re going to score,” he said. “Every time I get to the rim I’m going to try and dunk.”

That mindset resulted in a scary spill against Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse on January 23 in which Clark landed on his side after losing his balance on a put-back dunk attempt.

After a brief minute on his back, the senior was back on his feet and ready for more.

Brackins said that fearless mentality that Clark possesses is what makes him so good at dunking.

After seeing him dunk in both games and practices, Brackins said he sees Clark as one of the most talented dunkers he has had the opportunity to play with.

“There are a lot of players that can just get up. Rahshon is one of those freakish athletes that can just jump,” said Brackins, who also named Kansas State’s Bill Walker and Michael Beasley as good dunkers.

“There’s basically a player on almost every team that has some crazy vertical.”

Senior Jiri Hubalek said that having the opportunity to watch what Clark and sophomore Wesley Johnson can do when they get to the rim is a real treat.

“They’ve got a lot of athleticism and a lot of explosion in their jumps and dunks,” he said. “I’m very impressed with what they can do.”

Hubalek added when one of Iowa State’s high-flyers is able to get a big dunk it can really change the flow of a game.

“It’s definitely important for the team and especially for the crowd because they get more excited and we feed off the crowd,” he said. “It’s a big momentum changer.”

Lee, who recorded the highest vertical on the team this year at 39.5 inches, grew up in Chicago and said watching Michael Jordan gave him inspiration to one day be able to dunk.

He added that he watches the NBA dunk contest every year but thinks it has been lacking in recent years.

“It hasn’t been as exciting the last three or four years,” he said. “I remember the Vince Carter year [in 2000] – I think that was the best year.”

When asked who his favorite dunker was, Clark agreed that there was nobody who could impress quite like Carter in the dunk contest.

“Vince Carter by far,” he said. “In his prime he was ridiculous.”

The 6-foot-7-inch Johnson, who set the all-time Iowa State record for a vertical leap last season at 41 inches, recorded the Cyclones’ first dunk of the season with a flush in a 66-38 victory over Dubuque.

In terms of practicing dunks, however, Johnson said he doesn’t spend much time working on that part of his game.

“It just comes naturally,” last year’s Big 12 All-Rookie team player said. “When we’re in here goofing around we’ll start doing different dunks or whatever, but other than that it’s natural.”