Hall of Fame vote excludes Robbins

Former Virginia Union coach Dave Robbins is not included among the 16 finalists for election to the Basketball Hall of Fame. The list was released yesterday in conjunction with the NBA all-star weekend festivities.

Robbins won three Division II national championships and 713 games in 30 years as VUU's coach, and also guided Thomas Jefferson High to the 1975 Group AAA title. He has been considered by the Basketball Hall of Fame screening committee each of the past three years. Each year, he failed to receive the necessary seven votes from nine screening-committee members.

If a nominee receives seven or more votes in the screening-committee phase, he or she moves on to the Honors Committee for consideration. Eighteen votes from that committee's 24 members are required to gain induction.

Induction of the Class of 2009 will take place in April. These are the 16 finalists who will advance to the Honors Committee for consideration:

North American Committee finalists: Bob Hurley (coach), David Robinson (player; Manassas), Dennis Johnson (player), Al Attles (contributor), Don Nelson (coach), Chris Mullin (player), Michael Jordan (player), Bernard King (player), John Stockton (player), Jerry Sloan (coach).

Women's Committee finalists: Cynthia Cooper (player), C. Vivian Stringer (coach).

International Committee finalists: Vladimir Kondrashin (coach), Pereira Maciel "Ubiratan" (player).

Veterans Committee finalists: Richard Guerin (player), Johnny "Red" Kerr (contributor).