Bo Ryan – (Photo by David Stluka)
Former Milwaukee Bucks star Sidney Moncrief and former Wisconsin men’s basketball coach Bo Ryan were named finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
The announcement came in New Orleans during the NBA all-star weekend. Moncrief was named a finalist for the first time. It’s the third time for Ryan.
Moncrief was a two-time NBA defensive player of the year with the Bucks and five-time all-star. He was the Bucks first round draft pick in 1979 and played 10 seasons.
Ryan spent 32 seasons as a collegiate head coach before retiring in December 2015. He finished his career 26th on the NCAA’s all-time victory list with 747. He went 364-130 in 14-plus seasons at Wisconsin.
Moncrief and Ryan are among 14 finalists named for consideration in the 2017 class. The final class will be announced April 3, before the NCAA Championship game.