Boeheim A Finalist For 2005 Hall Of Fame Election
2/20/2005 2:24:19 PM | Men's Basketball
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame
SPRINGFIELD, MA -- Syracuse men's basketball coach Jim Boeheim, Connecticut mentor Jim Calhoun and former NBA all-stars Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins highlight a list of 16 individuals named as Finalists for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2005. The announcement was made on Sunday, February 20, in Denver by Hall of Fame President and CEO John L. Doleva.
The complete lists of finalists includes 10 candidates from the North American Screening Committee: players Maurice Cheeks, Adrian Dantley, Dumars, Dennis Johnson, Bernard King, Chet Walker and Wilkins, coaches Boeheim and Calhoun, and contributor Hubie Brown. Two candidates each comprise finalists from the Women's Screening Committee -- coaches Van Chancellor and Sue Gunter -- International Screening Committee -- Italian coach Sandro Gamba and player Hortencia marcari from Brazil -- and the Veterans Screening Committee -- player John Issacs and contributor John Kerr.
The Class of 2005 will be announced on Monday, April 5 at a news conference in St. Louis, prior to the NCAA Men's Championship game. A finalist needs 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Chancellor, Dumars, Gunter and Wilkins are Finalists for their first year of consideration by their respective Screening Committees. Calhoun, King, Johnson, Kerr, Walker, Marcari, Dantley and Cheeks have been named finalists previously.
Boeheim, who is in his 29th season as head coach at his alma mater, has guided the Orange to a 698-239 record during his tenure. He has coached SU into the NCAA Tournament 23 times and the Orange won the national championship in 2003. Boeheim is the only coach who has served for the length of the existence of the BIG EAST Conference. Including results from February 19 games, Boeheim ranked fourth among active Division I coaches in winning percentage and sixth in victories. He ranks 18th all-time in career wins at the Division I level.
He has produced 27 clubs that won at least 20 games, a mark that ranks second along with Bob Knight and Lute Olson behind Dean Smith's 30. Boeheim is seventh in NCAA tournament wins with 40.
To be eligible for election, a coach must be either fully retired for five years or, if still an active coach, have coached as either a fulltime assistant or head coach on the high school and/or college and/or professional level for a minimum of 25 years. That person will then be considered for Enshrinement in the sixth year of retirement or 26th year of active coaching.
Six individuals were inducted in 2004: contributor Jerry Colangelo, the long-time owner of the Phoenix Suns, former Los Angeles Lakers coach Bill Sharman, and players Drazen Dalipagic, Clyde Drexler, Maurice Stokes and Lynette Woodard.
