Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross attempts a dunk during the 2013 NBA all star slam dunk contest at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

While no actual games took place, Saturday night was full of highlights. It began with Team Bosh winning the Sears Shooting Stars Challenge over Team Westbrook. Then we saw Portland’s Damian Lillard win the Taco Bell Skills Competition. Next up was the Cavs Kyrie Irving winning the Foot Locker Three-Point Content with an impressive score of 23. Lastly, in an odd dunk contest, Toronto’s Terrence Ross took home the title over favorites James White and Gerald Green.

First up on the night was the Sears Shooting Stars Challenge. Team Westbrook looked to have it all wrapped up, but failed to make the half-court shot with over a minute to go. That essentially handed the title to Team Bosh, who took home the trophy won for their charity. No video highlights were made available for this competition.

The next event saw Lillard take home the Skills Challenge title over the 76ers Jrue Holiday in the finals. Lillard pushed the pace and took the title home. The odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year added another clip to his already large resume.

Next up was the Cavs Irving, coming off a big performance on Friday when he broke Brandon Knight’s ankles. On Saturday, he defeated Matt Bonner of the San Antonio Spurs to win the three-point competition, out shooting favorites like the Warriors Stephen Curry and New York’s Steve Novak. All that remains for Irving is his first All-Star game. Can Uncle Drew show up big again tonight?

Lastly, we have the Sprite Slam Dunk competition. Toronto’s Ross stole the show by wearing a Vince Carter jersey for one of his dunks and beat three superb dunkers in Utah’s Jeremy Evans, New York’s James White and Indiana’s Gerald Green to win the title. Check out the highlights below.

Feb 16, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Terrence Ross leaps over a youngster as he attempts a dunk during the 2013 NBA all star slam dunk contest at the Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Although many may not know who he is, Terrence Ross is bound for stardom in the NBA. He made his mark on Saturday night during All-Star weekend by winning the 2013 Sprite Slam Dunk contest. Fans voted on the final round of the challenge, and after going up against reigning champion Jeremy Evans of the Utah Jazz, Ross garnered 58 percent of the fan votes to be crowned dunk champion.

The competition started off great for the Eastern Conference, as Gerald Green and Ross of the Toronto Raptors earned perfect scores on their first dunks. That netted the East 20 easy points in the East vs. West competition. James White, a favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the final round, brought out too much flair for his performance. Flight attendants created a runway for his first dunk attempt, but he couldn’t convert on the first try.

Ross, who went third for the East, missed his first five attempts, but still netted a perfect score of 50. On his second dunk he earned a score of 49 on a jam that really wasn’t that impressive. Green and White faltered on their second attempts and didn’t even finish within the restricted time limit. They both earned scores of 32 on their second tries, bringing the Eastern Conference’s total to 258 points.

The Western Conference had the exact opposite performance, as the struggled with their first attempts and flourished on their second tries. Kenneth Faried and Eric Bledsoe started off with safe dunks, as they both earned scores of 39. Evans then converted on a backward jam that added 47 points to his team’s total.

On the second go-around, Faried and Bledsoe didn’t disappoint with two 50-point dunks. Faried had one of the highlights of the night with a between-the-legs throw down. Not to mention that Faried grabbed the ball with one strong hand high up in the air. Bledsoe then followed suit with a backward windmill that had the crowd oohing and aahing. Evans then finished with a two-basketball dunk that seemed more like an attempt to earn him an appearance in the final round than as an all-out slam. He scored 43 points on his second try, netting him a total of 90 points. The Western Conference finished with 268 points, which gave the West 50 points in the competition.

So the stage was set for an Evans vs. Ross matchup that started with an interesting and original twist. Evans began with a high-rising slam over a veiled painting. After the dunk he unveiled the painting, which was of Evans making the said dunk. Evans is an artist, so he knows how important presentation is. Ross then tried to one-up him when he came out in a Vince Carter jersey. Carter is one of the most glorified dunkers of our time, and for the Raptor to honor him like that made it a special moment. For his dunk, Ross caught the ball off the side of the backboard backward at a high point and then slammed it with one hand.

It was a close match and there was no telling who would come away with the victory after the first round of dunks. Terrence’s final dunk was the selling point for fans, however, as he jumped over a ball boy, carried the ball between his legs and jammed it with authority. His two dunks were enough to earn Ross honors of winning the contest.

His winning performance added 55 points to the Eastern Conference’s total, but that wasn’t enough to overcome what the Western Conference had done all night long. The West came away with the title of State Farm All-Star Saturday Night champions, but Ross won’t let that spoil what he did in the dunk contest.

Final Score: Western Conference 140, Eastern Conference 125

First up is Chris Manning with his NBA Drafts busts

–

Top Five Potential Busts

Mar 31, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes forward Jared Sullinger (0) reacts following their defeat against the Kansas Jayhawks in the semifinals of the 2012 NCAA men

1. Andre Drummond — C — Connecticut – Drummond is either going to be a star or he’s going to become the next Hasheem Thabeet. He has potential, but his game is so raw that no one really knows what kind of player he will become. Huge risk for any team that takes him.

2. Jared Sullinger — PF — Ohio State – Unlike Drummond, Sullinger won’t be a bust because of his games, as his skills are top notch. But his health concerns are a major issue, and if they derail his career, he would have to be considered a bust.

3. Perry Jones III — PF — Baylor – Jones’s talent is undeniable, but he didn’t produce up to his talent level in the college ranks at Baylor. If he can elevate his game, he will be a star. If not, it’ll be another example of wasted potential in a top ten pick. He’s either going to be Josh Smith or Yi Jianlin – no in between.

4. Dion Walters — SG — Syracuse – Dion Walters never started a game while at Syracuse. He played great as a sixth    man, and could become a James Harden type player, but if not, then there may not be a spot for him in the NBA.

5. Damian Lillard — PG — Weber State – Lillard is a guy with major scoring ability, but no one knows if he can do it against elite talent every night, as he played at mid-major Weber State. If he can indeed stack up, he’ll be worth a top ten pick. If not, it’ll be another tale of another player from a little school who couldn’t cut it against the big boys.

Now it’s Zachary Kolesar’s turn to tell who he thinks will make an impact in the NBA as a late-round pick

–

Top Five Potential Sleepers

March 22, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Draymond Green (23) grabs a rebound during the first half in the semifinals of the west region of the 2012 NCAA men

1. Royce White – PF – Iowa State – Standing 6’ 8” White led his team in five different categories, averaging 13.4 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.9 blocks. With that said, I feel like White could be a high-threat player that is a great second option to Perry Jones III. Although he struggled from the free throw line last season, White shot 53.4 percent from the field.

2. Draymond Green — PF – Michigan State – In Green’s four years at Michigan State he did nothing but improve his game and draft stock. The 22-year-old Spartan, who averaged a double-double (16.2 points and 10.6 rebounds), lacks the size to match up against other NBA big men, but is a great leader on the court and shows off his high basketball IQ whenever he has the ball by making good passes and knocking down deep shots.

3. Jeffrey Taylor – SF – Vanderbilt – The explosive swingman out of Vanderbilt averaged 16.1 points in his final collegiate season. Taylor, who turned 23 a month ago, could be a gem among the many great shooting forwards that are in the draft such as Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Harrison Barnes. Taylor has the strive to make in the NBA, as his goal to play as a professional started at age 17 when he moved to America from Sweden.

4. Terrence Ross – SG/SF – Washington – His troubles in finding a way to get to the basket could be a problem, but I think Ross, who could go around pick No. 10, might be one of the purest scorers in the draft. He is a threat from basically any range on the court, which should make him a hot commodity in the draft.

5. Doron Lamb – SG – Kentucky – Another Kentucky player could end up going in the first round. Lamb, who could develop into a go-to guy in a few years, could help compliment many point guards in the NBA. A shooting guard at Kentucky who averaged 13.7 points, Lamb is very careful with the ball and could find his way into the end of the first round.