One of the things we love even more about the NCAA Final Four, is that it is the same day that the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces its new class.

Let’s get right into the newest members:

Swin Cash:  Cash was one of the superstars at UConn, where she helped lead the Huskies to two NCAA Championships (2000 & 2002) and was named the Tournament MOP in the latter.  The Detroit Shock took her with the second overall pick in the 2002 Draft, where she led them to two WNBA Championships (2003 & 2006).  Cash would win a third WNBA Title with the Seattle Storm in 2010, and she also played for the Chicago Sky, Atlanta Dream and New York Liberty.  Individually, Cash was a four-time All-Star, and was selected to the WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team.  As a representative of the United States National Team, Cash won Gold at the 2004 and 2012 Olympics and 2010 World Championships.

Larry Costello:  Costello played at Niagara, where the Philadelphia Warriors selected him in the Second Round of the 1954 Draft.  The Point Guard helped Philadelphia win the 1967 NBA Championship, and individually he was a six-time All-Star and was a one-time Second Team All-Star.  He would later become a successful Head Coach, most notably with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he helmed them to their first NBA Championship in 1971.

Hugh Evans:  Evans is one of the most respected and tenured referees in basketball history, and he officiated over 2,200 Games, which included 35 NBA Finals.

Manu Ginobili:  Manu Ginobili might be the greatest “value” pick in the last thirty years, as the San Antonio Spurs nabbed the Argentinian Shooting Guard with the 57^th Overall Pick in 1999.  Ginobili did not report to the Spurs right away, having honed his skills with Virtus Bologna of the Italian League, where he led them to a EuroLeague Championship in 2001.  Joining the Spurs in 2002, Ginobili played with them his entire NBA career, winning four NBA Titles, earning two All-Star Games and securing a pair of Third Team All-NBAs.  For Argentina, he led his nation to Gold in the 2004 Olympics, and captured Bronze in the follow-up Games in 2008.  He also took Argentina to a World Cup Silver Medal in 2002, and Gold in the 2001 and 2011 AmeriCup Tournament.  Ginobili enters Springfield on his first year on the ballot.

Tim Hardaway:  Hardaway was the 1989 WAC Player of the Year at UTEP, where his number 10 would later be retired.  The Golden State Warriors chose Hardaway with the 14^th Overall Pick, and he would become one-third of the exciting trio, RUN TMC, along with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin.  He also played for Miami, Dallas, Denver and Indiana, and was a five-time All-Star, and five-time All-NBA Selection.  Hardaway also won Gold with the United States in the 2000 Olympics.  Hardaway’s induction likely was delayed for years due to homophobic comments he made, but he has since atoned for those comments.

Del Harris:  Harris’ long career as a coach began at a small liberal arts college, Earlham, and ten years later, he became an Assistant for the Utah Stars.  Harris would become the Head Coach of the Houston Rockets, and later the Milwaukee Bucks.  His best known stint as a Head Coach was with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was named the Coach of the Year in 1995.  Internationally, he worked with the United States, Canada, China and the Dominican Republic.

Lou Hudson:  Hudson played his college ball at Minnesota where his number 14 was retired by the school, and his work with the Golden Gophers landed him as the number four pick in the 1966 Draft by the St. Louis Hawks.  Hudson played for the St.Louis/Atlanta franchise for ten years, earning six straight trips to the All-Star Game (1969-74) and an eventual jersey retirement.  He finished his career with two years with the Lakers.

Bob Huggins:  Huggins first stint as a Head Coach was at Division II Walsh, and he would later get a chance at Division I with Akron.  He did well there, and it landed him the job at Cincinnati, where he brought the Bearcats to the Final Four in 1992, and won four Conference USA Tournaments.  After a brief stop at Kansas State, Huggins took over at West Virginia, his alma mater in 2007, where he is still their Head Coach today.  He brought the Mountaineers to the Final Four in 2010, and has an overall record of 916-399.

George Karl:  Karl played five years with the San Antonio Spurs, but achieved far greater fame as a coach.  Over his Head Coaching career, Karl had the reigns in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Milwaukee, Denver and Sacramento, with his highlight being in 1996 when he took the SuperSonics to the NBA Finals.  He had an overall record of 1,175 and 824, and is sixth all-time in Wins.  Karl also won the NBA Coach of the Year in 2013.

Radivoj Korac:  Korac is this year’s International inductee, where he was one of the top players ever to come from the former country of Yugslavia.  The EuroBasket MVP in 1961, Korac took his nation to Silver in the 1968 Olympics, and the 1963 and 1967 World Cup.  He was named by FIBA and one their 50 Greatest Players.  He died prematurely at the age of 30 in 1969 due to a car crash.

Theresa Shank-Grentz:  Grentz played her college ball at Immaculata, one of the first dominating Women’s programs, and she would later become a successful Head Coach, compiling a 671-309 record with St. Joseph’s (1974), Rutgers (1976-995), Illinois (1995-07) and Lafayette (2015-17).  She is best known as the Head Coach for the United States, where she led them to Gold in the 1990 Goodwill Games and 1990 Worlds.

Marianne Stanley:  A teammate of Shank-Grentz at Immaculata, Stanley first became a Head Coach at Old Dominion in 1977, and in 1985, she took them to a National Championship.  She would later coach at Penn, USC, Stanford and California, and would join the WNBA as an Assistant Coach in 2000 with the Los Angeles Sparks.  She would later become the Washington Mystics Head Coach, where she won the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2002, and currently is the Head Coach of the Indiana Fever.  She is already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. 

Lindsay Whalen:  Whalen was a star at the University of Minnesota, and parlayed that success to a fourth overall draft pick in 2004 by the Connecticut Sun.  She was traded to the Minnesota Lynx in 2010, and would be a lynchpin for a team that won four WNBA Championships.  In addition to Whalen’s four rings, Whalen was a five-time WNBA All-Star, three-time First Team All-WNBA Selection, and was chosen for the WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team.  The Point Guard also won three WNBA three Assists Titles.  While representing the United States, she won two Olympic Gold Medals (2012 & 2016) and two World Championships (2010 & 2014).  The Lynx have already retired her number #13.

This means that we have to get to work on our revisions for those to consider for the Basketball Hall on our Notinhallofffame.com Basketball list.  Look for that at the end of the month.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the newest members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

It is NBA All-Star Game weekend, and those who are into Halls of Fame know exactly what that means!

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the Finalists for the Class of 2022.

The Finalists are:

Leta Andrews:  Andrews is one of the most successful basketball high school coaches of all-time, coaching from 1962 to 2014 with a lifetime record of 1,416-355.  She is already a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and has been a Finalist three times before.

Swin Cash:  Cash was a two-time NCAA Champion at Connecticut and a three-time WNBA Champion, two with Detroit and one with Seattle.  Cash was also a four-time All-Star. WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team Selection, and is also a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist with America.  Cash is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Michael Cooper:  Playing all of his 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, Cooper helped L.A. win five NBA Titles, while earning five NBA All-Defensive Selections and the 1987 Defensive Player of the Year.

Hugh Evans:  Evans was an NBA referee from 1972 to 2001 and he officiated in 35 NBA Finals Games.

Manu Ginobili:  Playing his entire pro career with the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili helped take the team to four NBA Championships, while individually going to two All-Star Games.  Internationally, Ginobili led Argentina to Olympic Gold in 2004, Olympic Bronze in 2008, and he also took his country to Silver at the 2002 FIBA World Cup.  He has an excellent shot of entering as a first ballot inductee.

Tim Hardaway:  Hardaway was a former WAC Player of the Year at UTEP, and professionally was a five-time All-Star known for his time in Golden State and Miami.  A five-time All-NBA player, Hardaway also won Gold for the United States at the 2000 Olympics.

Bob Huggins:  Huggins took Cincinnati to the Final Four in 1992, and West Virginia in 2010.  Still coaching the Mountaineers today, Huggins presently has a career record of 913-393.

Marques Johnson:  Johnson won the NCAA Title at UCLA in 1975 and was named the National College Player of the Year in 1977.  Professionally, he had his best seasons with Milwaukee, where he went to four All-Star Games, and was twice a Second Team All-NBA player.  Johnson also played for the Clippers, where he went to his fifth All-Star Game.

George Karl: Karl is one of nine NBA Coaches wo have won 1,000 Games with a Coach of the Year Award (2013 with Denver).  He also was the Head Coach for Seattle, Milwaukee and Sacramento with a lifetime record of 1,175-824.

Marianne Stanley:  Stanley coached Old Dominion to a National Championship in 1985, and she also coached Penn, USC, Stanford and California.  In the WNBA, she was named the WNBA Coach of the Year in 2002 with Washington, and she is currently the Head Coach of the Indiana Fever.  Stanley is a member of the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Lindsay Whalen:  Whalen was one of the best women’s player in Golden Gopher history, and she went on to have a stellar WNBA career, winning four titles with the Minnesota Lynx, earning three First Team All-Star selections and five trips to the WNBA All-Star Games.  She was also named to the WNBA 20^th and 25^th Anniversary Team and internationally she won two Olympic Gold Medals with the United States (2012 & 2016).

Also announced was the following:

Reggie Minton won the John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dick Ebersol won he Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award 

Mechelle Voepel won the Curt Gowdy Media Award.

Walt Frazier won the Curt Gowdy Electronic Media Award.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the four new Award winners and this year’s Finalists.

Revising lists never stops at Notinhalloffame.com.

A couple of months ago, The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced the newest members of their institution.  In terms of our list, it was a record five chosen from the top ten, and it created a seismic shift on our countdown.

Whenever we revamp our list, the first thing we do is take out those who were enshrined.  Chosen for Springfield, were our top four ranked former players, Paul Pierce (#1), Chris Bosh (#2), Chris Webber (#3) and Ben Wallace (#4).  Bob Dandridge, who was ranked at #10, also was elected.

The second thing we do, is add those who are now eligible, but unlike previous years, there are not multiple top players who appear to be locks for the Hall.  

The third and final thing we look at is your votes and comments on each eligible player.  Those help determine rises or falls of those on the list.

Let’s see our new top ten, which again, is colossally different from last year.  Based on who we have available in 2022, we are having a hard time trying to predict who will be named to the next class.

We have to way back in hoops history for our new number one, Max Zaslofsky, who was an All-NBA (All-BAA) First Team Selection in the first four years of the BAA/NBA’s existence.  While playing for the Chicago Stags, Zaslofsky won the 1947/48 Scoring Title, and at the time of his retirement in 1956, he was third all-time in scoring.  He is also a member of the NBA 25^th Anniversary Team, and was ranked at #6 last year.

Coming at #2 is Tim Hardaway, who moves up from #8 and was a Finalist last year.  Known mostly for his run with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond as “RUN-TMC” at Golden State, Hardaway was a five-time NBA All-Star and five-time All-NBA Selection.  His candidacy is plagued by his past homophobic remarks, though he has since atoned for that.

Our highest debut is Manu Ginobili at #3, who is arguably the greatest basketball player in Argentine history.  A two-time All-Star and four-time NBA Champion with the San Antonio Spurs, Ginobili led his nation to Gold in the 2004 Olympics.  

Chauncey Billups rocketed from #11 to #4.  Billups led Detroit to the NBA Championship in 2004, where he was named the Finals MVP.  He was also a five-time All-Star.

At #5 is former Seattle SuperSonic, Shawn Kemp, who holds the same rank as last year.  Kemp was a six-time NBA All-Star.

Six-time All-Star and former Atlanta Hawk, Lou Hudson, climbed from #9 to #6.  

Buck Williams jumped to #12 from #7.  Williams was a three-time All-Star and was the 1982 Rookie of the Year.

Two-time NBA Champion with Detroit, Mark Aguire, dropped from #7 to #8.  

Larry Foust went up from #15 to #9, and he was an eight-time All-Star who played in the 1950s.

Maurice Lucas went up three spots to #10.  He was a four-time NBA All-Star and one-time ABA All-Star.

There are four other additions:

Joe Johnson, who was a seven-time All-Star makes a strong debut at #13.  

Former Memphis Grizzlies big man, Zach Randolph, enters at #89.

The other two new names are David West and Richard Jefferson at #115 respectively.  Jefferson’s ranking is currently where our list ends.

The entire list can be found here.

Eventually, we plan to expand our list to 150.  At a later time, we may create a separate list for women, but at present there is no plan to do so.

You know what we want you to do!

Take a look for yourself, and cast your votes and offer your opinion.

As always, we thank you for your support.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has announced 14 Finalists for the Class of 2021, ten men and four women.

The North American Committee Finalists are:

Rick Adelman (Coach): Portland 1989-94, Golden State 1995-97, Sacramento 1999-06, Houston 2007-11 & Minnesota 2011-14.  A seven-year pro, Adelman went into coaching, first obtaining a Head Coaching role in the NBA with the Trail Blazers in 1989.  Adelman led Portland to two Western Conference Championships (1990 & 1992).  Last coaching in 2014, Adelman had a career record of 1,042-749, and is currently ninth all-time in wins.

Chris Bosh (Player):Toronto 2003-10 & Miami 2010-17. Bosh went to eleven consecutive All-Star Games (2006-16) and helped the Heat win two NBA Titles (2012 & 2013), and won Olympic Gold for the United States in 2008.  The former ACC Rookie of the Year has already had his number (1) retired by the Heat.  He was eligible last year, but was not nominated.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Michael Cooper (Player): Los Angeles Lakers (1978-90).  The Shooting Guard for the “Showtime” Lakers, Cooper aided L.A. win five NBA Championships.  A defensive wizard, Cooper won the Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1987, and was five times part of the All-Defensive First Team roster. Ranked #33 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Tim Hardaway (Player): Golden State (1989-96), Miami (1996-01), Dallas (2001-02), Denver (2002) & Indiana (2003).  Hardaway was a five-time All-Star and a First Team All-NBA Selection in 1997.  Also, a three-time Second Team Selection, Hardaway was a member of the 2000 Olympic Gold winning team for the United States.  Ranked #8 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Marques Johnson (Player):  Milwaukee (1977-84), Los Angeles Clippers (1984-87) & Golden State (1989). Johnson went to five All-Star Games and in 1979 was a First Team All-Star.  An NCAA Champion and former College Player of the Year at UCLA, Johnson’s number was retired by both the Bruins and the Milwaukee Bucks.  Ranked #25 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Paul Pierce (Player): Boston (1998-13), Brooklyn (2013-14), Washington (2014-15) & Los Angeles Clippers (2015-17).  A First Team All-American at Kansas, Pierce played 19 seasons, the first fifteen with the Celtics.  Pierce led Boston to the NBA Championship in 2008, where he was named the Finals MVP. Pierce’s number is retired by the Celtics and Jayhawks, and he is currently 19^thall-time in Points. Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com

Bill Russell (Coach): Boston (1966-69), Seattle (1973-77) & Sacramento (1987-88).  Russell is already inducted as a player (1975), and in 1966, he became the Celtics Player/Coach, becoming the first African-American Coach in the NBA.  Russell took the Celtics to his last two of eleven titles in that capacity, and had an overall record of 341-290.

Ben Wallace (Player):  Washington (1996-99), Orlando (1999-00), Detroit (2000-06), Chicago (2006-08), Cleveland (2008-09) & Detroit (2009-12).  Wallace brought the Pistons to an NBA Championship in 2004, and he was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.  A two-time Rebounding Leader and one-time Blocking Leader, Wallace was also a four-time All-Star.  His number was retired by Detroit.  Ranked #4on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Chris Webber (Player):  Golden State (1993-94), Washington (1994-98), Sacramento (1998-05), Philadelphia (2006-07), Detroit (2007) & Golden State (2008).  Webber was the leader of Michigan’s “Fab Five”, and was a Consensus All-American. Named the NBA Rookie of the Year, Webber was a five-time All-Star, and was a First Team All-NBA Selection in 2001.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jay Wright (Coach):  Hofstra 1994-01 & Villanova (2001-).  Wright, who is still the Head Coach at Villanova, has taken the Wildcats to two NCAA Championships and three Final Fours.  He was named by the Associated Press Coach of the Decade (2010s).  

The Women’s Committee Finalists are:

Leta Andrews (Coach): Tolar HS (1962-65), Gustine HS (1965-70), Comanche (1970-76), Granbury HS (1976-80), Calallen HS (1980-82) & Granbury (1992-14).  Andrews has an overall coaching record of 1,416-355, and has won more than any other coach in high school basketball.   Andrews is already in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Yolanda Griffith (Player):  Chicago (1998), Sacramento (1999-07), Seattle (2008) & Indiana (2009).  Griffith won the WNBA MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award in 1999, and was an eight-time All-Star.  She also won the WNBA Title in 2005 with the Monarchs where she was also the Finals MVP.

Lauren Jackson (Player):  Seattle (2001-12).  Jackson was a three-time WNBA MVP and seven-time WNBA All-Star, and she also led the league in scoring three times.  Jackson also led Australia to three Olympic Silver Medals, one Olympic Bronze, and a World Championship Gold Medal in 2006.

Marianne Stanley (Coach):  Old Dominion (1977-87), Penn (1987-89), USC (1989-93), Stanford (1995-96), California (1996-2000), Washington WNBA (2002-03), Indiana WNBA (2020-).  Stanley took her teams to three Final Fours and brought Old Dominion to a NCAA Championship in 1985. 

The Class of 2021 will be announced at this year’s Final Four.

Please note that at present, we only rank male players.  This could change in the future.

The Class of 2021 ceremony is currently slated for September of this year.

We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Normally we don’t talk about retired numbers until it become official, but we will touch on this story as some more meat on the bone has been added.

Following the moves of Kevin Durant to Brooklyn and Andre Iguodala to Memphis, the Golden State Warriors announced that sometime in the future that they would retire their numbers.  Both were vital to the recent championships for the franchise so it is not unexpected, though this announcement does seem early.

When asked about this, former Warriors star, Tim Hardaway said that his friends had the following to say in an interview to SF Gate:  

I'm laughing because as soon as they said Kevin Durant's number's gonna get retired, here they go, he said, 'Man that's some BS.  How they gonna retire his number and he only played there for three years and you played there for six years, and you giving them all the sweat and tears and everything like that and they're not gonna retire your number.'"

But, you know they deserve it, you know they won championships, man. They won championships, they was there, not to say I shouldn't be up there, but you know I can feel what Joe Lacob is saying and he wanna bring them joy and show them gratitude for what they did for the city.”

In the interview, Hardaway wanted to make it clear that it was the opinions of his friends and not of himself.

Hardaway was a member of the famous RUN-TMC trio with Chris Mullin and Mitch Richmond.  Mullin’s number has been retired, but he is also in the Basketball Hall of Fame.  As of this writing, Hardaway and Richmond are not.

At present, Golden State had retired six numbers: Wilt Chamberlain (#13), Tom Meschery (#14), Alvin Attles (#16), Chris Mullin (#17), Rick Barry (#24) and Nate Thurmond (#42).

We will definitely be paying attention to this one!

In an interview with Hoops Hype, Tim Hardaway stated that the reason that he was not in the Basketball Hall of Fame was due to an interview he had with Dan LeBetard which was anti-gay.

He had this to say to Hoops Hype:

"Well, you know, the reason I'm not in is because of what I said in 2007 about gay people.  That's why I'm not in right now, and I understand it. I hurt a lot of people's feelings and it came off the wrong way and it was really bad of me to say that. Since then, I've turned a wrong into a right. My parents used to always tell me, 'If you do something wrong, look it in the eye. Don't back down from it and be scared of it. Go make it right and make people understand that you made a mistake.”

For those who may have forgotten what he said in 2007, take a look below:

You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known. I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States.

(In regards to having a gay teammate) First of all, I wouldn't want him on my team. And second of all, if he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that.

Pretty brutal right? 

The reaction against Hardaway was swift and he was removed from that year’s All Star festivities. Hardaway has been contrite since that time and has been active in LGBTQ rights since then.

The question now that has to be asked is Tim Hardaway right?

Hardaway has a strong resume as he was part of the famed Run TMC Offense on Golden State with Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin who are both already inducted.  A five time All Star, in our eyes it is more significant that he is a five time All-NBA Selection with one First Team, three Second Teams and one Third Team.  Stat wise he is solid with five 20 Point per Game seasons and three 10 Assist per Game seasons, but it should be pointed out that he never led the NBA in any statistical category, his highest MVP finish was fourth and he was never in the top 15 in PER.  

Basically, we are talking about a player who had excellent numbers but they did not reach the level where he could not be ignored.  Hardaway is ranked #8on our most recent Basketball list.

The Basketball Hall of Fame shocked us yesterday with their announcement that former players are now eligible three years after retirement. As such, it rendered our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list invalid and has also created a loaded list of nominees.

Let’s get right to the nominees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018:

Oh…and be patient…It is quite the long list

Players (North American Committee):

Mark Aguirre: Aguirre is a two time NBA Champion with the Pistons and was also a three time NBA All Star. In 1980 at DePaul he was named the Naismith College Player of the Year.

 

Ray Allen: The king of the three point shot is a two time NBA Champion

(Boston 2008 & Miami 2013) and is 24th all-time in scoring. Allen was also a ten time All Star and was the 1996 Big East Player of the Year.

Chauncey Billups: The motor of the surprise Detroit Pistons 2004 NBA Title team and a seven time All Star. He was the Finals MVP in ’04.

Muggsy Bogues: Bogues was a fifteen year NBA veteran most notably with the Charlotte Hornets.

Maurice Cheeks: Cheeks won the NBA Title with the Sixers in 1983 and was a four time All Star. He was also a four time First Team All-Defensive Selection.

Richard Hamilton: “Rip” was another member of the 2004 Detroit Pistons team and was a NCAA Champion and Most Outstanding Player of the 1999 Tournament.

Tim Hardaway: A five time NBA All Star, Tim Hardaway was also a five time All-NBA Selection.

Grant Hill: A two time champion at Duke, Hill was a seven time NBA All Star. Considering his rash of injuries the fact that he played eighteen years professionally is a testament to his dedication to the game of Basketball.

Kevin Johnson: K.J. is a three time NBA All Star and a four time Second Team All NBA Selection.

Marques Johnson: Johnson was a NCAA Champion at UCLA in 1975 and was named the National College Player of the Year in 1977. He was also a five time NBA All Star.

Bobby Jones: Jones was an NBA Champion with the Sixers in 1983 and was an eight time First Team NBA All Defensive Selection. He also was a four time All Star and a Sixth Man of the Year.

Steve Nash: Easily the biggest beneficiary from the new rule change, Nash should be a first ballot inductee. The Canadian Point Guard is a former two-time MVP and an eight time All Star. He is also third all-time in Assists.

Jason Kidd: Kidd, who is now coaching the Milwaukee Bucks, was also an elite Point Guard who was a ten time All Star. Second all-time in Assists, Kidd won a title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011.

Sidney Moncrief: Moncrief is a two time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who also was chosen for five All Star Games. The former Milwaukee Buck was also a one time All-NBA First Team and four time All-NBA Second Team Selection.

Jack Sikma: Sikma helped Seattle win the NBA Championship in 1979 and was a seven time All Star.

Ben Wallace: Wallace was an NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons in 2004. Wallace was a four time All Star and a four time Defensive Player of the Year. He was also a two time Rebounding Champion.

Chris Webber: A legend from the University of Michigan “Fab Five”, Chris Webber also was the NBA Rookie of the Year (1994) and a five time All-NBA Selection.

Paul Westphal: Westphal won the NBA Title in 1974 with the Boston Celtics and was also a five time All Star. He also was chosen for the First Team All-NBA three times.

Quite the group of players right?

That isn’t all.

Below are the following nominees in other categories:

Coaches:

Lefty Driesell: Driesell had a coaching record of 786 and 394 and is a two time ACC Coach of the Year.

Steve Fisher: Fisher is the current Head Coach at San Diego State and won the NCAA Title in 1989 with Michigan State. He was also named the NCAA Coach of the Year in 2011.

Bill Fitch: Fitch was a two time NBA Coach of the Year and win the NBA Title with the Boston Celtics in 1981.

Cotton Fitzsimmons: A legendary figure with the Phoenix Suns, Fitzsimmons was a two time NBA Coach of the Year, one with Phoenix the other with the Kansas City Kings.

Bob Huggins: Huggins is the current Head Coach at West Virginia an has a record of 832 – 332.

Jerry “Tiger” Jones: A long time Coach in Girl’s High School Basketball. He coached in the Seattle area.

Gene Keady: A seven time Big Ten Coach of the Year and five time National Coach of the Year, Gene Keady has a career record of 550 – 289.

Ken Kern: A former Head Coach at Fort Hamilton High in Brooklyn.

Rollie Massimo: Massimo is already a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame (2013) and is still coaching at Keiser. He led Villanova to the Division I Title in 1985 and has a NCAA record of 816 – 462.

Gary McKnight: The longtime and current Head Coach at Mater Dei Varsity in Santa Ana, California.

Danny Miles: Miles was the Head Coach at Oregon Tech from 1971 to 2016 and had a record of 1,040 – 437. He won three NAIA Division II Titles.

Dick Motta: Motta coached the Washington Bullets to the 1978 Title and was also a former Coach of the Year (1971).

Jim Phelan: Phelan was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008 and took St. Mary’s to a title in 1962.

Lee Rose: Rose has an overall NCAA record of 228 – 105 and took the UNC Charlotte 49ers to a Final Four Appearance in 1977.

Bo Ryan: Ryan was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017 and took Wisconsin-Platteville to four Division III Titles. He would later take Wisconsin to two Final Four Appearances. His overall record is 747 – 233.

Bob Saulsbury: Saulsbury was a longtime Head Coach at Wilbur Cross.

Steve Smith: From the famed Oak Hill Academy, Steve Smith has been named the USA Today National Coach of the Year four times and nine times have been declared the National High School Champions.

Harry Statham: Statham has been the Head Coach of McKendree since 1966 and has an overall record of 1,147 – 499.

Eddie Sutton: Sutton was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame and is a two time AP Coach of the Year. He has reached three Final Fours.

Rudy Tomjanovich: A five time All Star as a player, “Rudy T” took the Houston Rockets to back-to-back titles in 1994 to 1995.

Willie West: West was a longtime coach at Crenshaw High School in Los Angeles.

Referees:

Irv Brown: Brown officiated six Final Fours.

Jim Burch: Burch broke the color barrier for referees in the ACC.

Hugh Evans: Evans was a referee in the NBA from 1972 to 2001. He refereed 35 NBA Finals Games.

Ed Hightower: Hightower refereed 12 Final Fours.

Jake O’Donnell: O’Donnell was an NBA ref for twenty-eight years from 1967 to 1995.

Women’s Nominees:

Leta Andrews: Andrews is the winningest United States High School Women’s Coach.

Jennifer Azzi: Azzi played for Stanford and was a member of the 1996 U.S. Women’s Gold Medal Team. She would later play in the WNBA and was a coach at the University of San Francisco.

Becky Hammon: A former six time WNBA All Star and a two time WNBA First Team Selection, Hammon made history as the first female coach of an NBA Team (San Antonio) three years ago.

Suzie McConnell-Serio: A former player at Penn State, McConnell-Serio is a former WNBA Coach of the Year and is the current Head Coach at the University of Pittsburgh.

Pearl Moore: Moore was a star in the former Women’s Professional Basketball League.

Kim Mulkey: Mulkey was a former player at Louisiana Tech and has been the Head Coach at Baylor since 2000. She has won the NCAA title twice (2005 & 2012).

Harley Redin: Redin coached Wayland Baptist University to six AAU National Titles. He compiled a 431 – 66 record over eighteen years.

Theresa Shank: Shank won back-to-back-to-back titles with Immaculata (1972-74) and has a Head Coaching record of 671 – 309.

Katie Smith: Smith was a two time WNBA Champion and a two time All-WNBA First Team Selection. She was also the scoring champion in 2001. Currently, Katie Smith is the Head Coach of the New York Liberty.

Marianne Stanley: Stanley was the 2002 WNBA Coach of the Year, though she has been mostly a valued Assistant Coach throughout her career.

Barbara Stevens: Stevens has been the Head Coach for Bentley University since 1986 after previously coaching Clark University and UMass. She has an overall record of 928 – 262 and is a five time Division II Coach of the Year.

Valerie Still: Still was a former star at the University of Kentucky.

Tina Thompson: From USC, Tina Thompson made history as the first ever WNBA Draft Pick. Thompson was a nine time WNBA All Star and four time WNBA Champion. She is also a two time Gold Medalist at the Olympics (2004 & 2008).

Wayland Baptist Women’s Team: (1953-58) This team won 131 Games in a row.

Teresa Weatherspoon: Weatherspoon won the NCAA Title in 1988 for Louisiana Tech and in the WNBA would be a four time WNBA All Star and two time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year. She also won a Gold Medal at the 1988 Olympics.

Direct-Elect Category: Early African-American Pioneers Nominees:

Clarence “Puggy” Bell: Bell played for the New York Rens and was the 1939 MVP in the World Professional Basketball Tournament.

Sonny Boswell: Boswell was a former Harlem Globetrotter from 1939 to 1942 and was the MVP of the 1940 World Professional Basketball Tournament.

Chuck Cooper: Cooper was a star at Duquesne and was one of the first African-American players in the NBA. He was with the Celtics from 1950 to 1954.

Bill Garrett: Garrett made history as the first African-American player in the Big Ten when he started for the University of Indiana. He was the third black player to be drafted in the NBA and was a former Harlem Globetrotter.

Inman Jackson: Jackson was a Harlem Globetrotter from 1930 to 1945.

Clarence “Fats” Jenkins: Jenkins played for the New York Rens and also the Chicago Crusaders.

Bucky Lew: Lew started playing professionally in 1902.

Dave Minor: Minor played at UCLA and was in the NBA for three seasons in the early 1950’s.

Hudson Oliver: Oliver was a great African-American player in the early 1900’s.

Al “Runt” Pullins: Historically speaking Al “Runt” Pullins was an integral part of the growth of the Harlem Globetrotters and pound for pound was on the best players of his day.

James “Pappy” Ricks: Ricks was an original member of the New York Rens and played for them from 1932 to 1936.

Paul Robeson: A true renaissance man (Robeson was more famous for his singing), Paul Robeson was actually athletically more known for Football. In terms of hoops, Robeson played for the first all-black professional basketball team, the Commonwealth Big Five of Harlem.

Eyre Saitch: Saitch was a member of the New York Rens and was part of the first black team to win a World Championship.

Wee Willie Smith: Smith was a member of the New York Rens from 1932 to 1936 and was one of the few black players to compete in the NBL.

Direct-Elect Category: International Nominees:

 

Tal Brody: Brody was the 12th overall pick in the NBA but he elected to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv over his career, which lasted from 1966 to 1980. He is already a member of the Israeli Basketball Hall of Fame.

Jackie Chazalon: Chazalon played for the French National Women’s Team from 1963 to 1976. She entered the FIBA HOF in 2009.

Vlade Divac: Divac was an NBA All Star who internationally represented Yugoslavia. He won a Silver Medal in the 1988 Olympics and the FIBA World Cup in 1990 and 2002.

Alphonso Ford. An American who played at Mississippi Valley State, Ford found success in Europe and was a two time EuroLeague top scorer and Greek League MVP.

Semen Khalipski: Khalipski is a National Coach in Belarus.

Vladimir Kondrashin: Kondrashin coached the Soviet Union to a Gold Medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.

Toni Kukoc: Known mostly for being a three time NBA Champion with the Chicago Bulls, Kukoc is also a three time EuroLeague Champion, FIBA World Cup MVP and EuroBasket MVP. He also won the Silver Medal with Yugoslavia in the 1988 Olympics and the Gold in the 1990 World Cup.

Marcos Leite: Leite represented Brazil in the 1980 & 1984 Olympics and helped his country win the Pan American Games in 1971.

Aldo Ossola: From Italy, Aldo Ossola played on seven Italian League Champions and five FIBA European Champions Cup teams.

Amaury Pasos: From Brazil, Amaury Pasos was a two time Brazilian League Champion and was a FIBA World Cup MVP in 1959.

Dan Peterson: Peterson might be an American, but it was in Italy where he made his mark in Coaching. He is a five time Italian League Champion, three time Italian Cup Champion and one time EuroLeague Champion.

Dino Radja: Radja played three and a half years for the Celtics, but in Europe he was a two time EuroLeague Champion and a EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1989). He also won two Silver Medals in the Olympics for Yugoslavia as well as a Gold in the 1990 World Cup.

Manuel Sainz: Sainz is a legendary figure in Spanish Basketball, specifically Real Madrid. Sainz was a player for the team from 1961 to 1969 and following his playing career he would work his way to become the teams Head Coach. He would also coach the Spanish National Team.

Togo Soares: Soares coached the Brazilian National Team from 1951 to 1971 and took them to a Gold Medal win in 1959 and 1963 at the FIBA World Cup. He also won a Bronze Medal in the 1960 Olympics.

Ranko Zeravica: Zeravica was the Head Coach for the Yugoslavian Men’s Team for years. He took Yugoslavia to a Gold Medal in the 1980 Olympics and to a Gold in the 1970 World Cup. He also took his country to a Silver Medal in the 1968 Olympics.

Direct-Elect Category: Contributor Nominees:

 

Marv Albert: Albert has been the voice of the New York Knicks for the past thirty-seven years and has worked for NBC and TNT.

Al Attles: After a successful playing career, Attles was a Coach for the Philadelphia/Golden State Warriors for thirteen years.

Dick Baumgartner: Baumgartner has been a Coach in Indiana for over 50 years.

Henry Bibby: Bibby was a two-time CBA Coach of the Year and was a former Head Coach at Stamford.

Marty Blake: Blake was the former General Manager of the Atlanta Hawks and was also the Director of Scouting for the NBA for many years.

Vic Bubas: Bubas had a career coaching record at Duke of 213-67 and was a three time ACC Coach of the Year.

Wayne Duke: Duke was the Commissioner of the Big Eight Conference (1963 to 1971) and later the Big Ten Conference (1971-88).

Harry Glickman: Glickman was a co-founder of the Portland Trail Blazers and was the team President from 1987 to 1994.

Marty Glickman: Glickman was a broadcaster for the New York Knicks and later New Jersey Nets.

Simon Gourdine: The former Deputy Commissioner of the NBA and highest ranking black official in major sports in the 1970’s.

Curt Gowdy: Gowdy broadcast many games for NBC both in pro games and college.

Tim Grgurich: Grgurich was a former Head Coach at the University of Pittsburgh and was also a long time Assistant in the NBA.

Del Harris: Harris was named the NBA Coach of the Year with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1995.

Greg Heineman: Heineman is the owner of the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Robert Indiana: Indiana painted the court that the Milwaukee Bucks had at the MECCA Arena.

Johnny “Red” Kerr: A three time NBA All Star, Kerr would be the Coach of the Year in 1967 with the Bulls. He would broadcast for the Bulls for twenty-two years.

Bill King: Along with being the voice of the Oakland Raiders and the Oakland Athletics, Bill King was also the play by play announcer for the Golden State Warriors in the 60’s and 70’s.

John Kline: A former Harlem Globetrotter John Kline founded the Black Legends of Professional Basketball in 1966.

Red Klotz: A champion with the Baltimore Bullets in 1948, Red Klotz formed and played for the Washington Generals.

Jack McCloskey: A Head Coach at Penn (1956-66), Wake Forest (1966-72) and the Portland Trail Blazers (1972-74), “Trader” Jack McCloskey was far more known for his role as a General Manager for Portland and the Detroit Pistons. McCloskey Would build the team in Detroit that was a mini-dynasty.

Jerry McHale: A noted orthotic doctor who has worked a lot with NBA players.

Johnny Most: Most was the radio voice of the Boston Celtics from 1953 to 1990.

Dennis Murphy: Murphy co-founded the American Basketball Association.

Joe O’Toole: O’Toole is considered to be the catalyst for the creation of the National Basketball Trainers Association.

Billy Packer: Packer has been one of the most known College Basketball Analysts over the past thirty years.

Jack Powers: Powers played for the Manhattan Jaspers, and would later become their Coach and then their Athletic Director.

Dee Rowe: Rowe used to be the Head Coach at the University of Connecticut from 1969 to 1977 and following that he remained a part of the institution for decades.

Zelda Spoelstra: Spoelstra had worked for the NBA for decades serving in multiple duties.

Rod Thorn: Thorn was an NBA Player for eight years and an NBA Coach for another eight. Afterwards he was the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations but would leave to GM the Nets where he would become the Executive of the Year in 2002. He is currently the NBA President of Basketball of Operations.

Jim Valvano: “Jimmy V” famously coached NC State to the 1983 Division I Championship. His overall coaching record was 346 – 210.

Donnie Walsh: Walsh is currently the President of Basketball Operations for the Indiana Pacers and had that role with the New York Knicks previously.

Rick Welts: Welts is the current President and Chief of Operations for the Golden State Warriors. Previously he worked for the NBA and is credited for the creation of the NBA All Star Weekend and the marketing of the 1992 U.S. Dream Team.

Direct-Elect Category: Veterans Nominees:

 

1936 United States Olympic Team: The ’36 team won Gold at the Berlin Olympics.

1964 State Department Basketball Ambassadors.

Ron Boone: Boone was a four time ABA All Star and ABA Champion in 1971.

Sid Borgia: Borgia was a referee in the NBA from 1946 to 1964. He would later serve as the Chief of Officials the next two years.

Carl Braun: Braun was a five time NBA All Star.

Frank Brian: Brian was a star at LSU and would later be a two time NBA All Star.

Joe Caldwell: Caldwell was a two time NBA All Star and also a two time ABA All Star.

Mack Calvin: Calvin was a five time ABA All Star who was also a member of the ABA All Time Team.

Jack Coleman: A one time NBA All Star, Coleman was a two time NBA Champion, one with Rochester and one with St. Louis.

Bob Dandridge: A two time NBA Champion (one with Milwaukee and one with Washington) Bob Dandridge also was a four time All Star.

Charles Eckman: Eckman was the Head Coach for the Fort Wayne/Detroit Pistons from 1954 to 1957.

Leroy Edwards: Edwards was a three time NBL Scoring Champion and two time NBL Champion.

Leo Ferris: Credited with creating the 24 second shot clock, Ferris also was the founder of the Buffalo Bisons, which evolved into the Atlanta Hawks.

Clarence “Bevo” Francis: Francis was an elite scorer at Rio Grande in the early 50’s.

Buck Freeman: Freeman was the longtime coach of St. John’s University.

Donnie Freeman: Freeman was an ABA Champion with the Indiana Pacers in 1973 and was also a five time ABA All Star.

Travis Grant: Grant was at one time the highest scorer in NCAA history during his career at Kentucky State. He is already in the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Bob Grody: Grody played in various leagues in the 1920’s and 30’s.

Robert Harrison: Harrison was a three time NBA Champion with the Minneapolis Lakers and was also an All Star in 1956.

Flo Harvey: Harvey played for multiple teams in the Rhode Island area in the 1900’s to 20’s.

Dick Hemric: Hemric was an NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics in 1957 and was also a two-time ACC Player of the Year.

Cam Henderson: Hendeson (who was also a Football Coach) coached college hoops from 1919 to 1955 and would win the NAIA Men’s Basketball Championship in 1947.

Robert Hopkins: Hopkins was a major star at Grambling State in the mid 1950’s.

Lou Hudson: Hudson was a six time All Star who spent the bulk of his career with the St.Louis/Atlanta Hawks.

Warren Jabali: Jabali was an ABA Champion and Playoff MVP with the Oakland Oaks in 1969. He was also a four time ABA All Star.

Jimmy Jones: Jones was a six time ABA All Star and three time First Team All-ABA Selection.

Charles Keinath: Kenaith was a four time All-American at Penn and was the Helms National Player of the Year in 2008.

Freddie Lewis: Lewis was a three time ABA Champion with the Indiana Pacers and a four time ABA All Star. He was also the 1972 ABA Playoff MVP.

Jim Loscutoff: Loscutoff played for the Boston Celtics from 1955 to 1964 and won seven NBA Titles.

Loyola of Chicago:

Billy Markward: Markward played professionally in the 1900’s and would coach the Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia for forty years after. He would win twenty championships as a Coach.

Ed McCluskey: McCluskey was the very successful Head Coach at Farrell High School in Pennsylvania.

Ray Mears: Mears had a career coaching record of 399 – 135 in a combined career with Wittenberg and the University of Tennessee.

Francis Meehan: Francis “Stretch” Meehan was a pro from the mid-10’s to the late 20’s and at 6’ 7’’ was one of the first tall men in the game.

Dudley Moore: Moore was the Head Coach at Duquesne from 1948 to 1958 and would take the team to the NIT Title in 1955. Also coaching at LaSalle from ’58 to 1963, Moore had an overall record of 270 – 107.

Willie Naulls: Naulls was a star at UCLA and would become a three time NBA Champion with the Boston Celtics. Naulls would also be a four time All Star.

Philadelphia Sphas: The team existed from 1917 to 1955 and would win 10 Championships.

Mel Riebe: Riebe was the 1944 NBL Rookie of the Year and was also a two time NBL Scoring Champion (1944 & 1945).

Glenn Roberts: Roberts was one of the first players to utilize the jump shot and was also a Champion in the NBL in 1939.

Holcombe Rucker: Rucker founded the New York City pro-am basketball tournament in Harlem.

Kenny Sailors: An NCAA Champion and Tournament Outstanding Player from 1943 Kenny Sailors was inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Fred Schaus: Schaus was an All Star as a Fort Wayne Piston in 1954 and would have a long career in College and the Pros where he led Purdue to a NIT Title and had a seven year run helming the Lakers. He was also a four time Southern Conference Coach of the Year at West Virginia. In addition, he has an NBA Championship ring as an executive from the Lakers Title win in 1972.

Charlie Scott: Charlie Scott was chosen for five All Star Games; two in the ABA and three in the NBA. Scott was also the ABA Rookie of the Year (1971) and was a champion in the NBA with the Boston Celtics (1976).

Kenny Sears: Sears was a two time All Star and holds the distinction of being the first basketball player to be on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Frank Selvy: A two time NBA All Star, Frank Selvy holds the record for the most points in a NCAA Division I Game with 100. Naturally, he is a two time NCAA Division I Scoring Champion.

George Senesky: Senesky was Division I Scoring Champion at St. Joseph’s (1943) and was a BAA Champion with the Philadelphia Warriors in 1947. He would later be the team’s Head Coach and won the NBA Title in 1956.

Charles Siler: Siler was part of the origin of the game contributing with the developing the rules of the game.

Talvin Skinner: Skinner was a rebounding machine at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. Professional he played three years with the Seattle SuperSonics.  

Ken Suesens: Suesens played for Sheboygan in the NBL for eleven years and was a champion in 1943.

Tennessee A&I:

Dick Van Arsdale: Van Arsdale was a three time NBA All Star with the Phoenix Suns.

Tom Van Arsdale: The twin of Dick Van Arsdale, Tom was also a three time All Star. His was with Cincinnati Royals/Kansas City Kings.

Willie Wise: Wise was an ABA Champion 1971 with the Utah Stars and was a three time ABA All Star.

Max Zaslofsky: Zaslofsky was a four time All-NBA First Team Selection (1947-50) and was the Scoring Champion in 1948.

The Finalists will be announced during NBA All Star Weekend and during the Final Four the Class of 2018 will be announced.

With all of these changes, we look to revise our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List by the end of this year.

As always with us at Notinhalloffame.com it is always a continuing process!

When one Hall of Fame Class gets in, we need to look at updating our respective lists.  As such, we are proud to announce that we have updated our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball List.

The recent class only claimed two former players off of the ranking, Tracy McGrady (#2) and George McGinnis (#12) but there are quite a few former players who we feel are deserving of a rank and much like the other lists, we have plans to increase the number from the even 100 to 200.  For now, we now have a less than perfect number of 106, but that will only be a temporary number.

Let’s get to the new rankings shall we?

Although our #1 was not chosen, we have a new star at the top of our perch.  Five time First Team All NBA Selection Jason Kidd debuts at #1.  The current coach of the Milwaukee Bucks is a ten time All Star and is currently #2 all-time in Steals and Assists. 

Chris Webber was ranked #1 last year, and he drops to #2.  We have been long since championing Webber for the Hall, and while he did not get selected last year, he finally was named a Finalist for the first time, which at least gives us reason to be optimistic. 

At #3, we have another new entrant, Grant Hill.  A two time NCAA Champion at Duke, Hill was a major star in the NBA, tallying seven trips to the All Star Game, until severe injuries took him off of that level, though this is still a man who played 18 years in the NBA.

While there are many new entrants, only Jason Kidd and Grant Hill crack the top ten.

Seven Time Al-Star Jack Sikma remains in the #4 spot.  Sikma helped the Seattle SuperSonics win the NBA Championship.

Sidney Moncrief dropped two spots to #5.  While he dropped here (mostly due to the eligibility of Kidd and Hill) he is coming off being named a Finalist.

Former multi-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace swapped places with former Seattle star, Shawn Kemp at #6 and #7 respectively. 

Max Zaslofsky remains at number 8.  Zaslofsky was a First Team All BAA/NBA Selection from the 1946-47 season to the 1949-50 season.

Two time NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons, Mark Aguire tumbled from #5 to #9.  Aguire was also a three time All Star.

Tim Hardaway completes the top 10.  Hardaway, a five time All Star was a Finalist last year.

There are additional new entries to discuss.

The master of the technical foul, Rasheed Wallace enters at #22.  Wallace was a star for both Portland and Detroit, the latter of with he helped take to an NBA Championship.

Two time All Star Jerry Stackhouse debuts at #49 and bookending the #50 rank is new entry Marcus Camby.  Camby’s rank is a little interesting considering he was never an All Star, but he is a former two-time Defensive Player of the Year and also won the Naismith College Player of the Year when he was at UMass.

The other new entries are Richard Hamilton (#75) and Lamar Odom (#104).

You know what we want you to do!



The updated list can be found here and we encourage all of you to vote and state your opinions!

Again, can we say how much we love “Hall of Fame Season”?

As is tradition, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced their finalists on NBA Hall of Fame weekend, and for us the biggest news is that Chris Webber is finally a Finalist. 

Let’s take a look at this year’s Finalists:

Hugh Evans.  Evans was a referee in the NBA from 1972 to 2001.

Tim Hardaway.  A return Finalist, Hardaway is a five time All Star and is ranked #9 by us on Notinhalloffame.com.

Robert Hughes.  Hughes is one of the most successful High School Coaches in history.

Rebecca Lobo.  The star of the 1995 University of Connecticut Women’s NCAA Team, Lobo would also win an Olympic Gold Medal with Team USA in 1996 and was a one time WNBA All Star.

Rollie Massimino.  The longtime coach of Keiser University.

Tracy McGrady.  A two time NBA Scoring Champion and seven time All Star, McGrady is ranked #2 on our Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list.  McGrady is also a two time First Team All-NBA Selection.

Muffet McGraw.  The long time and still head coach of Notre Dame, McGraw took the Fighting Irish to a title in 2001.

Sidney Moncrief.  Ranked #3 on our Notinhalloffame.com list, Moncrief was a two time Defensive Player of the Year and was a five time All Star.

Kim Mulkey.  The only woman to win a NCAA Women’s Title as a player, Assistant Coach and Head Coach, Mulkey has been the Head Coach at Baylor since 2000.

Bo Ryan.  Ryan is a previous Finalist and had over 700 NCAA coaching wins.  He won four titles in Division III.

Bill Self.  Self won the NCAA Championship at Kansas in 2008 and has a record of 613-190 at this time. 

Rudy Tomjanovich.  Ranked #32 on our Notinhalloffame.com list, Rudy T, coached the Houston Rockets to back to back titles and was a five time All Star as a player. 

Wayland Baptist University.  Another return nominee, Wayland Baptist University are ten time AAU Champions.

Chris Webber.  Ranked #1 by us on Notinhalloffame.com, the former star of Michigan’s “Fab Five”, Webber averaged over 20 Points per Game in the NBA and was a former Rookie of the Year.  Webber also is a five time post season All-NBA selection.

So, which ones will get in?

We will find in early April during the Final Four.

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is continuing in on the fun in this “Hall of Fame” Season.

The following have been named as Finalists for the Class of 2017.


Mark Aguire.  A three time All Star and two time NBA Champion with the Detroit Pistons.  He is a former #1 Pick out of DePaul.  Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Gesse Ausbie.  A former Harlem Globetrotter for twenty-five years (1961-1985). 

Bill Bertha.  A former Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Lakers and Executive for the New Orleans Jazz.

Muggsy Bogues.  A former pint sized Point Guard who may have been the smallest on the court but was a popular player and excellent one at that.

Junior Bridgeman.  A two-time MVC Player of the Year and twelve year NBA veteran, predominantly with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Irv Brown, a longtime referee and broadcaster.

Maurice Cheeks.  A Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers and 4 time All Star known for his defensive acumen.  Cheeks also had success as a coach in the NBA.  Ranked #14 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Terry Cummings.  A former NBA Rookie of the Year who was chosen for two post season All-NBA Teams.   Ranked #18 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Lefty Drissell.  A former NCAA Coach with a record of 786 and 394.  He is most known for his 18 seasons as the head coach of Maryland. 

Hugh Evans.  A former NBA Referee from 1972 to 2001.

Bill Fitch.  A long time NBA Coach who won the NBA Title with the Boston Celtics in 1981 and was named the NBA Coach of the Year twice.

Cotton Fitzsimmons.  A two time NBA Coach of the Year who helmed the Phoenix Suns, Atlanta Hawks, Kansas City Kings and the San Antonio Spurs.

Tim Hardaway.  A former Point Guard who went to five All Star Games and was named to five All-NBA Teams.  Ranked #9 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Del Harris.  A former NBA Head Coach who was named Coach of the Year in 1995.  He had the coaching duties of the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks.

Robert Hughes.  A former High School Head Coach who has the most wins in High School Basketball history.

Kevin Johnson.  A former five time post season All-NBA Selection and three time All Star.  Ranked #11 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Marques Johnson.  A former star at UCLA and former five time All Star.  Ranked #26 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Bobby Jones.  A former four time All-Star and NBA Champion with the Philadelphia 76ers.  Ranked #24 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jerry Jones.  A long time women’s basketball coach.

Gene Keady.  A former college coach mostly known for his twenty-five year run with Purdue.  Keady is a seven time Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Rollie Massimino.  A college coach who won the NCAA Title with Villanova in 1985.

Tracy McGrady.  A former Shooting Guard who went to seven All Star Games and was named to seven post season All-NBA teams.  Ranked #2 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Gary McKnight.  Another successful High School Basketball Coach.

Danny Miles.  The Coach of Oregon Tech from 1971 to 2016.  Miles has over 1,000 Wins and three Division II Championships.

Sidney Moncreif.  A former two time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and five time NBA All Star.  Ranked #3 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Dick Motta.  A successful Head Coach who was a former NBA Coach of the Year and NBA Champion with the Washington Bullets.

Swen Nater.  The only player to have led both the ABA and NBA in Rebounds.  Nater is a former ABA Rookie of the Year and two time NCAA Champion with UCLA.

Jake O’Donnell.  A former NBA referee for twenty-eight seasons.

Jim Phelan.  The Head Coach for Mount St. Mary’s from 1954 to 2003.  He took them to a NCAA Division II Title in 1962.

Mark Price.  A four time All Star and four time post season All-NBA Selection.  Ranked #27 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Jere Quinn.  A Head Coach for thirty-eight years at St. Thomas More Prep.

Glenn Robinson.  The current Head Coach at Franklin & Marshall since 1971 and the all-time leader in wins in Division III.

Lee Rose.  A former Head Coach in College (UNC Charlotte, Purdue and South Florida) and an Assistant Coach in the NBA.

Bo Ryan.  A four time NCAA Division III Champion at Wisconsin-Platteville who also took The University of Wisconsin to two Final Fours.

Bob Saulsbury.  A former Head Coach at Wilbur Cross Prep.

Bill Self.  The current Head Coach of the Kansas Jayhawks and NCAA winner in 2008.

Jack Sikma.  A seven time All Star who won the NBA Championship with the Seattle SuperSonics.  Ranked #4 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Steve Smith.  The Head Coach at Oak Hill Academy and four time USA Today Coach of the Year. 

Fred Snowden.  The first African American Head Coach at a major University (Arizona) and a former WAC Coach of the Year.

Harry Statham.  The Head Coach for McKendrie University since 1966.  He has over 1,100 Wins.

Eddie Sutton.  A former NCAA College Coach with over 800 Wins.  Sutton most notably coached for Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State and is a two time NCAA Coach of the Year.

Rudy Tomjanovich.  A two time NBA Championship Coach with the Houston Rockets and nominated as a Coach.  As a player (where he is ranked by us) he is a five time NBA All Star.  Ranked #32 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Ben Wallace.  A four time All Star and four time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who also helped the Detroit Pistons win the NBA Title in 2004.  Ranked #7 on Notinhalloffame.com. 

Chris Webber.  A former star at the University of Michigan who would win the NBA Rookie of the Year and go to five All Star Games and earn five post season All-NBA Teams.  Ranked #1 on Notinhalloffame.com.

Paul Westphal.  A former five time All Star who won a NBA Title with the Boston Celtics.  Ranked #15 on Notinhalloffame.com.  


Note that the Notinhalloffame.com Basketball list only ranks players.

This list will be paired down to a much smaller number of Finalists, which will be announced early next year.