Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo is one step closer to one of the ultimate honors for a basketball coach, as he was named a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, as announced Friday at NBA All-Star Weekend.
Izzo is one of 14 finalists from the North American and Women’s committees eligible to go into the Hall of Fame in September. The Class of 2016 will be announced April 4 at the Final Four in Houston. Izzo is one of seven first-time finalists including 27-year NBA referee Darell Garretson, eleven-time NBA All-Star Allen Iverson, the first African American coach in a professional league John McLendon, three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O’Neal, four-time WNBA Champion Sheryl Swoopes and 10-time AAU National Champions Wayland Baptist University.