Oklahoma State's Eddie Sutton named finalist for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Eddie Sutton's candidacy for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is beginning to take shape again, as the former Oklahoma State coach was named a finalist for the class of 2016 during a ceremony at NBA All-Star weekend in Toronto.

It is the fifth time Sutton has been tabbed as a finalist.

Sutton, 79, won 806 games with three Final Four appearances and NCAA Tournament appearances with Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and OSU. He won two regular season (1992 and 1995) and one tournament championship (1995) in Big Eight, and one regular season (2004) and two tournament titles (2004 and 2005) in the Big 12.

Under his tutelage, the Cowboys reached the postseason 14 times in his 17 years, including 13 NCAA Tournament bids and two Final Four appearances.

Sutton was the Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1978 and 1986, and the 1993 Big Eight Coach of the Year and two-time Big 12 Coach of the Year in 1998 and 2004. He is a class of 2011 member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

The inductees will be unveiled April 4 during the NCAA Tournament's Final Four weekend in Houston. Enshrinement is scheduled for Sept. 9 in Springfield, Mass.

The other finalists:

The other finalists:

Shaquille O’Neal

Allen Iverson

Kevin Johnson

Sheryl Swoopes

Bo Ryan (coach)

John McLendon (coach)

Muffett McGraw (coach)

Robert Hughes (coach)

Darrell Garretson (official)

Leta Andrews (coach)

Charles "Lefty" Driesell (coach)

1954-58 Wayland Baptist University