Oak Hill Academy coach Steve Smith (Photo: (Gregory Payan, Associated Press)
Two of the nation’s best high school basketball coaches will have to wait a bit longer for the call to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Legendary coaches Steve Smith of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and Gary Knight of Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) were not among the 14 finalists named Friday at NBA All-Star Weekend festivities in Toronto.
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McKnight and Smith were named first-time nominees in early December on the final ballot by the North American Committee. Each coach has won more than 1,000 games.
The 14 finalists named are:
– Shaquille O’Neal
– Allen Iverson
– Kevin Johnson
– Sheryl Swoopes
– Eddie Sutton (coach)
– Bo Ryan (coach)
– Tom Izzo (coach)
– John McLendon (coach)
– Muffett McGraw (coach)
– Robert Hughes (coach)
– Darrell Garretson (official)
– Leta Andrews (coach)
– Charles “Lefty” Driesell (coach)
– 1954-58 Wayland Baptist University
The inductees will be announced at the Final Four in Houston in early April.