Search

ARCHIVES
CONTACT US
WORLD NEWS

Olson finalist for basketball Hall of Fame

UA men's basketball head coach Lute Olson is one of 10 finalists to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Olson is joined by former players Isiah Thomas, James Worthy, Sidney Moncrief, Bob McAdoo and Bobby Jones, coaches Jim Phelan and Morgan Wooten and contributors Junius Kellogg and C.M. Newton.

To be inducted, nominees will need 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee. The Hall of Fame will conduct a press conference in New York during the week of May 22-26 to announce the winners, and the enshrinement ceremony will be Oct. 13 in Springfield, Mass., the home of the Hall of Fame.

"It is a great honor just to be nominated, so to be a finalist for the Hall of Fame is even more special," Olson said in a press release.

Olson has compiled a 614-219 record in 26 years of head coaching at Long Beach City College, Long Beach State, Iowa and Arizona. Since joining Arizona in 1984, Olson has gone 422-127 and led the Wildcats to 13 consecutive 20-win seasons and the nation's best winning percentage (.812) during that time.

UA assistant head coach Rodney Tention said the recognition is significant, even though Olson doesn't pay much attention to the individual accolades.

"He's been successful, so I think he's deserving of it," Tention said.

Arizona has won nine Pacific 10 Conference championships and the 1997 national championship under Olson.

He was named national Coach of the Year in 1988 and 1990.

"I feel very blessed to have my name included with such a great group like this one," Olson said. "It's an honor that (Olson's wife) Bobbi and I are very excited about."

Arizona won the Pac-10 title this season and finished 27-7 overall.