On Friday, March 2, the Harlem Globetrotters return to Raleigh’s RBC Center. Tickets go on sale this morning (10/17) at 10am. Tickets start at $18. Here is more from the press release:

The outstanding rookies include Paul “Tiny” Sturgess , the world’s tallest pro basketball player at 7-8, Jonte “Too Tall” Hall , the shortest Globetrotter ever at 5-2, and Fatima “ TNT ” Maddox of Temple University, the team’s first female player since 1993 and ninth female in team history.

The new Globetrotters also feature the top three finishers from the 2011 College Slam Dunk Contest, including the reigning champ Jacob “Hops” Tucker . At 5-10, Tucker sports a 50-inch vertical leap, and his YouTube videos have garnered well over four million views. Tucker joins slam dunk runner-up John “Jet” Williams of UNC-Asheville and semifinalist Darnell “Spider” Wilks of the University of Cincinnati.

The 2012 rookie class has a total of three seven-footers including 7-4 Jermaine “Stretch” Middleton , the third-tallest player in team history, and 7-foot Anthony “Biggie” McClain . At 7-8, Sturgess becomes the tallest Globetrotter ever after a career at Mountain State University (W.Va.). He is the 19th internationally born player in team history, hailing from Loughborough, England.

“The Globetrotters are excited to welcome a new generation of stars to carry on the storied tradition of the world’s most entertaining basketball team,” said Globetrotters CEO Kurt Schneider . “This year’s rookie class features some of the most talented and promising players from across the world.”

Current Globetrotters stars Special K Daley , Big Easy Lofton , Flight Time Lang , Dizzy Grant , Scooter Christensen , and many others will team up with the world class rookies for nearly 270 games on the North American portion of the World Tour, bringing the Globetrotter magic to over 230 cities in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces.

Player rosters in each city will vary and are subject to change.