April 25, 2025
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Flippin' awesome: Cartwheel, backflip earn Bertrand dunk crown

By SVN SPORTS

Joseph Bertrand wrapped up his prep basketball career in style on Saturday afternoon.

The Sterling senior and Illinois recruit wowed the crowd at the state tournament in Peoria by taking top overall honors in the IHSA Slam Dunk Contest. He won the Class 3A contest on Friday afternoon to advance to the King of the Hill competition, which pits the winners of Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A in one final dunk-off.

"I was thinking about last year, when I finished third down here," Bertrand said. "I didn't want that to happen again. I was here to win it all."

Bertrand lost to seniors Marland Johnson (Mounds Meridian) and John Shurna (Glenbard West) last season.

 Bertrand opened with a backward dunk that was preceded by a one-handed cartwheel and a backflip. His second dunk was of the windmill variety. On his third attempt, the 6-foot-6 Bertrand bounced the ball off the backboard and threw it down tomahawk-style.

Bertrand scored 48 points, ahead of 2A winner Meyers Leonard, a 6-11 junior from Robinson (44 points), 4A winner D.J. Bennett, a 6-7 junior from Orland Park Sandburg (37) and 1A winner Ethan Koehler, a 6-2 senior from Varna Midland (32).

Leonard, who will be Bertrand's teammate at Illinois after he graduates in 2010, finished his turn by headbutting the ball off the backboard and then catching it in midair to slam it down.

Illinois coach Bruce Weber was watching both Bertrand and Leonard after the Illini were knocked out of the NCAA tournament on Thursday.