Globetrotters make Montana couple first husband and wife duo drafted in pro sports history; also select Club Trillion founder Mark Titus of Ohio State.

(PHOENIX, June 22, 2010) – A pair of University of Montana basketball stars—men’s team standout Anthony Johnson and women’s team star Shaunte Nance-Johnson—became the first husband-wife duo to be drafted by a professional sports team today when they were both selected by the world famous Harlem Globetrotters as part of the team’s 2010 draft class.

Also chosen by the Globetrotters in the team’s annual player draft were Mark Titus of Big 10 Conference champion Ohio State; 2010 College Slam Dunk Champion Marqus Blakely of the University of Vermont; Slam Dunk runner-up Chris Roberts of Bradley University; and Southern Methodist University point guard Derek Williams.

Following is a recap of the Globetrotters’ draft:

•    Anthony Johnson and Shaunte Nance-Johnson—natives of Tacoma, Wash., and married since 2006—each completed their senior seasons at Montana in 2010. 
     The 6-3 Johnson gained national notoriety by scoring Montana’s last 21 points (42 total) in a 22-point come-from-behind victory over Weber State in the Big Sky Tournament title game, vaulting the Grizzlies into the 2010 NCAA tournament.  The effort has also received an ESPY nomination for Best Championship Performance with the likes of Drew Brees (Super Bowl XLIV), Michael Phelps (World Swimming Championships) and Shaun White (Winter Olympics).  A unanimous first team All-Big Sky Conference selection as a junior and senior, Johnson is the first two-year player ever at Montana to break the 1,000-point scoring plateau, finishing 14th on the school’s career scoring list.
     The starting point guard for the Lady Griz, Nance-Johnson led the team in assists and to the semifinals of the Big Sky tournament in 2010.  If she makes the Globetrotters squad, she would become the ninth woman in history to play for the storied franchise. One of the previous eight, Joyce Walker, once coached Nance-Johnson in a Washington high school all-star game in 2005.

•    Mark “The Shark” Titus originally joined the Ohio State men’s basketball program as a team manager, but his shooting prowess (coach Thad Matta called him the best shooter on the team) soon earned him a spot on the Buckeyes’ playing roster. One of the top pure shooters in the state of Indiana during his high school career in his hometown of Brownsburg, the 6-4 guard joined the Buckeyes just prior to the start of their record-setting 2006-07 campaign. Titus also has plenty of experience in the entertainment aspect of being a Globetrotter, becoming a cult phenomenon via his popular “Club Trillion” blog and various YouTube videos. 

•    Marqus Blakely, a native of Metuchen, N.J., posted a perfect score of 50 and a 47 en route to winning the 2010 College Slam Dunk Championship.  The 6-5 forward led Vermont to a school record-tying 25 wins in 2010 and the school’s fourth trip to the NCAA Tournament in its history. Blakely was one of only two players in the nation to lead his team in points, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals.  He and Player of the Year Evan Turner of Ohio State were the only players in the nation to average at least 17 points, nine rebounds and three assists per contest.

•    Chris Roberts narrowly finished second to Blakely in the slam dunk final by one point, after posting scores of 50 and 47.5 among his early dunks.  The 6-4 guard out of Fort Worth, Texas, secured his place in Bradley lore by banking in a 75-foot shot at the buzzer to deliver a 76-75 win on March 23, 2010, against Oakland in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament quarterfinal.  The buzzer-beater is believed to be the longest game-winning shot in NCAA Division I postseason history.  During his two-year Bradley career, Roberts made four appearances on ESPN SportsCenter's Top 10 Plays, first for the 75-footer and three more times for his dunks, appearing three times in nine days.

•    Derek Williams, hailing from Queens, N.Y., led the SMU Mustangs in points, assists, minutes, field goals and free throws as a senior.  He was the team’s ironman, averaging nearly 37 minutes per game and logging a full 40 in 11 contests. The 6-1 spark plug also received All-Conference USA accolades.

Each of these players will be extended an invitation to fall training camp to vie for the honor of joining the Globetrotters for their 85th consecutive season of touring the world.

Notable players selected in past Globetrotter drafts include Anthony “Ant” Atkinson, the first ever Globetrotters’ draft selection, a former college All-American and current Globetrotters’ dribbling sensation; Tay “Firefly” Fisher, former Siena sharp-shooter and now Globetrotters’ ball handling wizard; Taylor Griffin, 2009 NBA second-round draftee and older brother of 2009 NBA number one overall selection Blake Griffin; 2007 World Indoor High Jump Champion and 2008 Olympian Donald Thomas; and Tim Howard, the top goalkeeper of the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team currently competing in the FIFA World Cup.

Sponsored by Campbell Soup Company, Spalding, Howard Johnson Hotels and America’s Best Contacts and Eyeglasses, the Original Harlem Globetrotters have played in 120 countries and territories on six continents, entertaining over 130 million fans and breaking down barriers between cultures, societies and people from all walks of life.  The Globetrotters are one of only six teams to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  Click here to purchase team merchandise.