CHICAGO -- An Illinois college student who won the national slam-dunking championship has been signed by the Harlem Globetrotters.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Jacob Tucker was welcomed to the team Friday with an appearance on NBC's "Today Show."

The team drafted Tucker in June and evaluated him over the summer.

Tucker says joining the Globetrotters is "an unbelievable honor."

The 5-foot-10 player won the dunking half of the College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships at the Final Four in March. He was invited after a YouTube video of his dunking skills became an Internet hit.

Tucker was a basketball standout at Illinois College in Jacksonville and Carlyle High School in southern Illinois.

His new Globetrotters nickname is "Hops." He's one of 10 players joining the team this year.