Wash U Student Selected to Join Harlem Globetrotters

The world famous Harlem Globetrotters held their sixth annual player draft Tuesday, selecting 2012 College Slam Dunk Champion James Justice of Martin Methodist College, three-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt, and Iesha Davis, sister of likely #1 overall NBA Draft pick Anthony Davis. 

Others selected include College Slam Dunk semi-finalist Bryan Narcisse of Clemson University; Division II All-American Stefan Bonneau of C.W. Post; and Dylan Richter, the University Athletic Association Player of the Year at in St. Louis, who recently interned with the Globetrotters’ digital team. 

“Our draft is always fun, because we look for athletes of all different kinds that might have the attributes to be a Harlem Globetrotter,” said Sweet Lou Dunbar, the Globetrotters’ director of player personnel. “James Justice is a dunking dynamo in the mold of many great Globetrotter dunkers, Iesha Davis has a great bloodline, and how can you go wrong with the world’s fastest human?”

The following is a full recap of the Globetrotters’ draftees:

• Dylan Richter — Hailing from Lincolnshire, IL, was a DIII News and D3hoops.com All-American in 2011-12, as well as the University Athletic Association Player of the Year. The sharp-shooting Richter finished his career sixth on the all-time three-pointers made list at Washington University in St. Louis—where he helped the Bears to the 2009 NCAA Division III National Championship—and he recently interned with the Harlem Globetrotters’ digital team.
  
• James Justice — Of Martin Methodist College won the 2012 College Slam Dunk Contest, following a similar path to that of current Globetrotters’ star Jacob “Hops” Tucker, a 2011 Globetrotter draftee who won the 2011 College Slam Dunk Championship after gaining entry with a YouTube video campaign. After being voted into the contest via Facebook, the 5-9 Justice, who sports a 52-inch vertical leap, dazzled the crowd and the judges with three perfect scores of the four dunks he executed. The Memphis, TN, product was a two-time First Team NAIA All-American and two-time TranSouth Conference Player of the Year.  
• Bryan Narcisse, a 6-6 forward from Clemson University with a seven-foot wingspan, reached the semis of the College Slam Dunk Championship by displaying his showmanship.  On one dunk, the North Augusta, S.C., native donned a retro jersey of Clemson alum – and former NBA slam dunk champ – Larry Nance, and slammed home another after the ball was thrown off the shot clock for a perfect score.  An outstanding student, Narcisse finished his Clemson basketball career with a degree in communications studies already in hand.
• Stefan Bonneau, a 5-10 scoring and dunking stalwart hailing from Middletown, N.Y., was the Eastern College Athletic Conference Player of the year in both of his seasons at C.W. Post, and he was selected to three Division II All-American teams in 2011-12 after averaging 21.7 points per game.
• Chicago native Iesha Davis is the older sister of Kentucky’s Anthony Davis, the projected #1 overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. Iesha Davis has collegiate playing experience as a 5-10 forward at Richard J. Daley College and had a large influence on the development of her younger brother, who has compared their relationship to famous basketball siblings Cheryl and Reggie Miller. 
• Continuing to seek out the world’s most superb athletes, the Globetrotters drafted Jamaican Usain Bolt, the current holder of the 100 and 200 meter world records, who will be vying for multiple gold medals in the upcoming Olympic Games in London. Bolt is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, winning the 100 and 200 meter titles in Beijing in 2008, along with the 4x100 meter relay title with his Jamaican team. He is also a five-time gold medalist at the World Track & Field Championships. Bolt’s raw leaping ability has caught the Globetrotters’ eye, and the team’s interest has been piqued after seeing online videos of Bolt dunking.

Other players selected in past drafts include current Globetrotters Anthony “Ant” Atkinson, the first ever Globetrotters’ draft selection and a college All-American and national champion, former Siena sharp-shooter Tay “Firefly” Fisher, and 7-foot-8 Paul “Tiny” Sturgess, the Guinness World Record holder as the World’s Tallest Professional Basketball Player. 

The Original Harlem Globetrotters continue a world famous tradition of ball handling wizardry, basketball artistry and one-of-a-kind family entertainment that continues to thrill fans of all ages. Throughout their history, the Globetrotters have showcased their iconic talents in 120 countries and territories on six continents, often breaking down cultural and societal barriers while providing fans with their first-ever basketball experience.

Proud inductees of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, the Globetrotters have entertained hundreds of millions of fans—among them popes, kings, queens, and presidents—over more than eight thrilling decades. For the latest news and information about the Harlem Globetrotters, and to purchase tickets and team merchandise, visit the Globetrotters’ official Web site: www.harlemglobetrotters.com.