Houston’s Kelvin Sampson named Naismith Hall of Fame finalist

University of Houston men's basketball coach Kelvin Sampson was named a finalist for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, moving him closer to basketball's highest honor.

Sampson joins nine other finalists including coach Mark Few, player Blake Griffin, coach Doc Rivers, player Amar’e Stoudemire, and referee Joey Crawford.

The Class of 2026 will be announced on April 4 during a live broadcast on ESPN2 as part of Final Four weekend. Enshrinement weekend is set for Aug. 14-16 at Mohegan Sun and Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Coach of the Houston Men’s Basketball team, a Class of 2026 Finalist, Coach Kelvin Sampson. #26HoopClass pic.twitter.com/nHKuDVO0fI

Sampson's remarkable career spans 36 seasons, during which he has compiled an 821-356 record and made 20 NCAA Tournament appearances. He is one of only 15 coaches in NCAA history to lead four different programs to the tournament and one of just 16 to reach the Final Four with multiple schools.

Finalists for the Hall of Fame must receive at least 18 votes from the Honors Committee to be enshrined.

More college basketball news:

• Hubert Davis buyout, contract details as UNC Tar Heels coach
• Why is Bryce James not playing? The reason you won't see LeBron's youngest son
• 'Basketball Saved My Life': Why Master P came home to rebuild New Orleans
• Why FOX blocked St. John’s from participating in a major college basketball event
• John Calipari says college athletics is broken — Here’s his plan to fix It