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Harlem Globetrotters take interest in Charlotte 49ers star
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Published: June 23, 2009
CHARLOTTE - The acrobatic dunks by senior forward Charlie Coley that excited Charlotte 49ers basketball fans the past two seasons could soon be featured on an international stage.
Coley, who finished second all-time in school history with 102 dunks, was among five players selected by the famous Harlem Globetrotters in the team's third annual draft.
Coley, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 8.9 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds this past season, won back-to-back slam dunk contests during the 49ers' annual Basketball Madness. He also finished as runner-up in the 2009 ESPN Slam Dunk Championship.
Interestingly enough, one of the other four players drafted by the Globetrotters, New Mexico's Tony Danridge, beat Coley in the finals of the ESPN dunk contest.
The other players drafted were Taylor Griffin, brother of likely NBA No. 1 draft pick Blake Griffin of Oklahoma; Derrick Mercer, Patriot League Player of the Year; and Tim Howard, a goalkeeper with the U.S. mens soccer team, which advanced to the semifinals of the Confederation Cup on Sunday.
"Globetrotters must be great athletes, great entertainers and outstanding citizens," said Globetrotters coach "Sweet" Lou Dunbar. "We believe ... these individuals possess enough of those unique dynamics to merit our consideration to wear the red, white and blue."
Each of the drafted players have been invited to fall training camp, during which they can compete for a spot on the Globetrotters, who will begin their 84th season. The Globetrotters, featuring their entertaining brand of basketball, have played in more than 120 countries in front of more than 130 million fans since their inception.
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