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Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announces Class of 2015

By Luke Dahlgren

Feb 18, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tad Smith Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 18, 2014; Oxford, MS, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tad Smith Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-USA TODAY Sports /
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The basketball Hall of Fame class for this year includes Kentucky head coach John Calipari, whose team had their undefeated season squashed by the Wisconsin Badgers this past Saturday.

For John Calipari, the silver lining for his Saturday loss to the Wisconsin Badgers (other than of course his seven-tear, $52.5 million contract) is that he beat out Bo Ryan for the Hall of Fame.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced their class of 2015 this morning, and it included the vanquished Kentucky head coach among other basketball luminaries.

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From Hoophall.com:

"This year’s list includes 39-year NBA referee Dick Bavetta, two-time College Coach of the Year John Calipari, four-time NBA All-Star Spencer Haywood, eight-time NBA All-Star Dikembe Mutombo, seven-time NBA All-Star Jo Jo White and three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie."

Those contributors join a selection of players and contributors announced from February during the NBA All-Star Break.

"They include Louis Dampier voted in from the American Basketball Association (ABA) Committee, John Isaacs from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Lindsay Gaze from the International Committee, Tom Heinsohn from the Veterans Committee and George Raveling from the Contributor Direct Election Committee."

The list of six announced today was whittled down from twelve announced in February. The longer list included Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, who will be coaching the Wisconsin Badgers tonight in Indianapolis against the Duke Blue Devils.

Calipari helped to coach the Kentucky Wildcats to an undefeated season, and his reign at the height of college basketball makes him a worthy candidate despite his controversial “one-and-done” recruiting system.

Many of these names come as surprises; it could be assumed that Mutumbo, White and Leslie would already be in the Hall. Mutombo’s right index finger has already been inducted.

With both Jo Jo White and Spencer Haywood in the Hall, fans will need to find new players to complain about for not being included. White in particular was a star player and NBA Finals MVP for one of the most visible franchises in the NBA in the Boston Celtics.

Perhaps Chris Webber or Tim Hardaway could carry the banner? Maybe Sidney Moncrief?

The members will be officially enshrined on September 11.

[H/T: Hoophall.com]

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