Eddie Sutton falls short of election into Naismith Hall of Fame

Former Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton once again did not secure the number of votes necessary for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Naismith Class of 2016, announced on Monday morning in Houston, includes Michigan State coach Tom Izzo along with former NBA stars Shaquille O'Neal, Allen Iverson and Yao Ming. Also voted into the Naismith Hall were former women's basketball superstar Sheryl Swoopes, Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf, longtime NBA refereee Darrell Garretson and former coach John McLendon. Honored posthumously are former NBA star Zelmo Beaty and John McLendon, a player during the early 1900s.

It is the third time in four years an active coach (Rick Pitino 2013 and John Calipari 2015) have been inducted.

From a 24-person selection committee, a Naismith finalist must get at least 18 votes to be inducted. It is the fifth time Sutton has been tabbed as a finalist.

Sutton, 80, 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.