Several individuals with HBCU ties are up for basketball’s highest honor – the Basketball Hall of Fame.
That list includes the 1982 Cheyney State women’s basketball team that made it to the national championship game under Vivian Stringer. The star of that team, Valerie Walker, is nominated as an individual in the Direct Elect Women’s Category.
Bethune-Cookman Director of Athletics and Head Basketball Coach is on the list as well. Theus, a first round draft pick in 1979, was a two-time NBA All-Star as he scored over 19,000 points and dished out over 6,000 assists.
Former Johnson C. Smith star and Harlem Globetrotters legend Curly Neal is nominated as a contributor.
Former Kentucky State star Travis Grant is nominated in the Veteran-Direct Elect Category.
The Basketball Hall of Fame list gets cut down in a list of finalists released Feb. 17 at NBA All-Star Weekend in Salt Lake City.
North American Nominations
* Indicates First-Time Nominee
- Ken Anderson (COA)
- John Beilein (COA)*
- Gene Bess (COA)
- Chauncey Billups (PLA)
- Tom Chambers (PLA)
- John Clougherty (REF)
- Michael Cooper (PLA)
- Joey Crawford (REF)
- Jack Curran (COA)
- Mark Eaton (PLA)
- Cliff Ellis (COA)
- Michael Finley (PLA)
- Pau Gasol (PLA)*
- Leonard Hamilton (COA)
- Lou Henson (COA)
- Ed Hightower (REF)
- David Hixon (COA)
- Mark Jackson (PLA)
- Marques Johnson (PLA)
- Gene Keady (COA)
- Jim Larranaga (COA)*
- Maurice Lucas (PLA)
- Shawn Marion (PLA)
- Rollie Massimino (COA)
- Dick Motta (COA)
- Dirk Nowitzki (PLA)*
- Jake O’Donnell (REF)
- Tony Parker (PLA)*
- Jim Phelan (COA)
- Gregg Popovich (COA)*
- Bo Ryan (COA)
- Stan Spirou (COA)*
- Reggie Theus (PLA)
- Dwyane Wade (PLA)*
- Buck Williams (PLA)
- John Williamson (PLA)*
- Paul Westhead (COA)
Women’s Nominations
- Leta Andrews (COA)
- Jennifer Azzi (PLA)
- Gary Blair (COA)
- Doug Bruno (COA)*
- Becky Hammon (PLA)
- Becky Martin (COA)
- Debbie Miller-Palmore (PLA)
- Kim Mulkey (PLA)
- Valerie Still (PLA)
- Marian Washington (COA)
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: International Nominations
- Jackie Chazalon
- Mirza Delibasic
- Dusan Ivkovic
- Semen Khalipski
- Vladimir Kondrashin
- Eduardo Lamas
- Marcos Leite
- Shimon Mirrahi
- Amaury Pasos
- Manuel Sainz
- Togo Soares
- Ranko Zeravica
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Women’s Veterans Nominations
- 1976 US Olympic Team (TEA)*
- 1982 Cheyney University NCAA Final Four Team (TEA)*
- Alline Banks Sprouse (PLA)
- Edmonton Commercial Grads (TEA)
- John Head (COA)
- Yolanda Laney (PLA)*
- Nashville Business College (TEA)
- Lometa Odom (PLA)
- Harley Redin (COA)
- Hazel Walker (PLA)
- Valerie Walker (PLA)*
- Dean Weese (COA)*
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Contributor Nominations
- Pete Babcock
- Dick Baumgartner
- Henry Bibby
- Marty Blake
- Vic Bubas
- Doug Collins
- Wayne Duke
- Bill Foster
- Bob Gibbons
- Simon Gourdine
- Tim Grgurich
- Junius Kellogg
- Johnny “Red” Kerr
- Tom Konchalski
- Bobby Lewis
- Fred McCall
- Jack McCloskey
- Jon McGlocklin
- Speedy Morris
- Dennis Murphy
- Curly Neal
- Jack Powers
- Will Robinson
- Gene Shue
- Jim Valvano
- Donnie Walsh
DIRECT-ELECT CATEGORY: Veterans Nominations
- 1936 US Olympic Team (TEA)
- 1972 US Olympic Team (TEA)
- Dick Barnett (PLA)
- Tom Blackburn (COA)
- Sid Borgia (REF)
- Charles Brown (PLA)*
- Freddie Brown (PLA)*
- Jack Coleman (PLA)
- Charles Eckman (REF)
- Leroy Edwards (PLA)
- Leo Ferris (CONT)
- Hy Gotkin (PLA)
- Travis Grant (PLA)
- Jack Hartman (COA)*
- Cam Henderson (COA)
- Robert Hopkins (PLA)
- Charles Keinath (PLA)
- Greg Kelser (PLA)*
- Kentucky Wesleyan 1966, 1968, 1969 (TEA)
- Bob Love (PLA)
- Loyola of Chicago (TEA)
- Billy Markward (CONT)
- Ed McCluskey (COA)
- Jack McKinney (CONT)
- Bill Melchionni (PLA)*
- Francis Meehan (PLA)
- Lucias Mitchell (COA)
- Donald “Dudey” Moore (COA)
- Joe Mullaney (COA)
- Willie Naulls (PLA)
- North Catholic High School Junior Varsity (Philadelphia, PA) (TEA)
- Don Otten (PLA)*
- Philadelphia SPHAS (TEA)
- Kevin Porter (PLA)*
- Glenn Roberts (PLA)
- Lennie Rosenbluth (PLA)
- Kenny Sailors (PLA)
- Fred Schaus (CONT)
- Sam Schulman (CONT)
- Paul Silas (PLA)
- Dick Van Arsdale (PLA)
- Tom Van Arsdale (PLA)
- Lambert Will (CONT)*
- Max Zaslofsky (PLA)