But one name stands out.
Michael Jordan is eligible this year.
Here's a look at some of 2009's potential inductees and their contributions to college hoops.
Michael Jordan - University of North Carolina
The high point of Jordan's college career was the final game of the 1982 NCAA Tournament, when he hit the game-winning shot that beat Patrick Ewing's Georgetown Hoyas -- the first of many times Jordan would deny Ewing a championship. But Jordan wasn't the prolific scorer at the NCAA level that he'd become in the NBA, averaging 17.7 points in three seasons at Chapel Hill.As the old joke goes, the only man who could hold Michael Jordan under 20 points was Dean Smith.
Arguably the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan is an absolute lock to be elected in this, his first year on the ballot.
John Stockton - Gonzaga
Stockton played for Gonzaga well before Gonzaga was a household name among college basketball fans. His senior season with the 'Zags offered a glimpse of what was to come -- he averaged over 20 points per game and shot over 57% from the field, with over seven assists and nearly four steals per game.During his NBA career, spent entirely with the Utah Jazz, Stockton would go on to become the Association's all time leader in both assists and steals.
This is Stockton's first appearance on the list of finalists.
David Robinson - Navy
"The Admiral" wasn't a major basketball prospect -- he picked up the game late in his high school career, but was more focused on academics. But he blossomed into one of the game's all-time greatest centers while at Annapolis, winning the Wooden and Naismith awards in his senior year of 1986-87.He joined the NBA's San Antonio Spurs for the 1989-90 season, becoming one of the league's top scorers, rebounders and shot-blockers. With help from Tim Duncan, Robinson's Spurs won NBA titles in 1999 and 2003.
This is Robinson's first appearance on the list of finalists.
Chris Mullin - St. John's
Mullin was Big East player of the year three times during his tenure at St. John's -- no mean feat, considering his tenure coincided with Patrick Ewing's. The sweet-shooting lefty racked up 2,440 career points for the Johnnies and once inspired North Carolina head coach Dean Smith to say, "I don't want to play against guys who shoot ten of twelve from the floor." His career field goal percentage was 55 percent -- stunningly high for a perimeter player. He won the Wooden award as college basketball's top player in 1985.He had a highly productive 17-year NBA career with the Warriors and Pacers. He was a five-time NBA all-star and two-time Olympic gold medalist. He's now the general manager of the Warriors.
This is Mullin's third appearance on the list of finalists. He was first nominated in 2007.
C. Vivian Stringer - Rutgers
One of only three women's college basketball coaches to pass the 800-win plateau, C. Vivian Stringer brought tiny Cheyney State to the championship game of the first Women's NCAA Tournament in 1982. She went on to make Iowa a Big 10 power, and since moving to Rutgers has consistently put the Scarlet Knights at the top of the Big East.Her national profile was raised significantly in 2007, when Don Imus' ill-considered remarks about the Rutgers team eventually led to his firing.
This is coach Stringer's first appearance on the list of finalists.
Other 2009 Nominees
- Bob Hurley - legendary coach of St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City, New Jersey (and father of Duke guard Bobby Hurley)
- Bernard King - outstanding scorer for the Tennessee Vols and New York Knicks
- Jerry Sloan - the long-time leader of the Utah Jazz is tops in wins among NBA coaches.
- Don Nelson - one of the NBA's most creative coaching minds, currently coaches the Golden State Warriors
- Cynthia Cooper - a two-time NCAA champion at USC, and a two-time WNBA MVP
- Al Attles - nominated as a contributor, Attles has spent the last 49 years as a member of the Warriors' organization
- Dennis Johnson - a defensive stopper who led the Sonics and Celtics to NBA titles in the '70s and '80s.
- Vladimir Kondrashin - Soviet basketball coach, led the USSR to the highly controversial gold medal in 1972.
- Maciel Periera - One of Brazil's all-time greatest players
- Richie Guerin - An All-American at Iona, a six-time NBA All-Star with the Knicks, and an NBA Coach of the Year with the Hawks
- Johnny "Red" Kerr - A three-time NBA All-Star and NBA Coach of the Year, Kerr has served as the voice of the Chicago Bulls since 1975.
The Class of 2009
This year's inductees will be announced on April 6 in Detroit, prior to the NCAA Championship game.The induction ceremonies will take place September 10-12 at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.
