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Tech grad one of five rookies to vie for a spot on the world's most famous basketball team

July 2, 2007

ATLANTA - Former Georgia Tech basketball player Mario West is one of five rookies taken by the Harlem Globetrotters in its first-ever player draft, and the 6-5 guard will try out for the legendary team in the fall, the Globetrotters announced Monday.

Also drafted Monday were 5-foot-10 Anthony Atkinson of Barton College, 7-foot-9 Sun Ming Ming of China, Brent Petway of the University of Michigan, and Marcus Kennedy, the all-time leading scorer at the University of Montevallo.

West, captain of the Yellow Jackets' team in 2006-07, captured the 2007 State Farm College Slam Dunk Contest, netting a perfect score in the final round to edge Petway. The Douglasville, Ga., native, who graduated with a degree in Management in May of 2006, received the Michael Isenhour Inspirational Award and the team's Excellence Award for overall achievement on and off the court his senior season.

"Through the draft process, we identified players we feel have the skills and persona to potentially be Harlem Globetrotters," said Globetrotters Coach Clyde Sinclair. "We are very happy with our inaugural draft."

These five players will be invited to training camp in the fall to compete for the honor to join the Globetrotters for their 82nd consecutive season of touring the world. Since its inception in 1926, the Harlem Globetrotters have traveled to 118 nations on six continents and have played before over 125 million fans. For more information on the Harlem Globetrotters, visit the team's official Web site.