Being inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is one of the highest honors someone can receive. College basketball is full of legends and the Hall of Fame is a great way for fans to remember the greats. This year a couple of Wisconsin legends are candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Two game-changing Badgers
Great to see @MichaelFinley and Bo Ryan each named as candidates for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2023@Hoophall x #OnWisconsinhttps://t.co/mzGdBRy3kQ
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) December 21, 2022
Wisconsin Legends On List For Naismith Hall Of Fame
Wisconsin has two members that are on the list of candidates for this year. Bo Ryan is not a surprise. He coached the Badgers from 2001-2016. He won Big Ten Coach of the Year four times and touts a .715 career win percentage. Ryan made it to two Final Fours with one appearance in the national championship. That national championship appearance came in his last full season where he led the Badgers to a 36-4 record. Ryan is already a college basketball legend and deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
Michael Finley’s Career
Finley was a four-year player at Wisconsin. In his sophomore through senior seasons, he averaged 20+ points every season. He also averaged 3.2 assists and 5.6 rebounds in his time at Wisconsin. His consistent and solid numbers made him the 21st overall pick in the NBA draft by the Pheonix Suns. He went on to play 15 seasons and win a championship with the San Antonio Spurs. Finley is often forgotten when you talk about great Wisconsin players so it is good to see him get some recognition.
There are many worthy candidates on the list for the Naismith Hall of Fame. Bo Ryan and Michael Finley are both deserving candidates. It will be interesting to see who makes it into this year’s class.
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