The Atlanta Tipoff Club announced six finalists for the 2012 Naismith High School Boys Coach of the Year on Tuesday.
The list includes coaches for the No. 1 teams in both MaxPreps.com's Xcellent 25 and Academy Top 10.
Bob Hurley has his
St. Anthony (Jersey City, N.J.) program riding a 53-game win streak and sitting atop the Xcellent 25. The Friars are the defending national champions and 20-0 this winter.
Photo by Lonnie WebbBob Hurley
Steve Smith is on the verge of his fourth 40-win season since 2005-06 at
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). Smith's Warriors (39-0) are ranked No. 1 in the Academy Top 10 and recently announced plans for a March tour of China.
Here's a glance at the other Naismith COY candidates;
Joe Auer,
Heights (Wichita, Kan.):
Auer's Falcons have won 60 games in a row and are bidding for their fourth-straight state championship.
Danny Henderson,
Marcus (Flower Mound, Texas): The Marauders are 108-6 over the past three seasons under Henderson and 32-2 in 2011-12. Marcus – No. 2 in the Xcellent 25 – begins defense of its 2011 Class 5A state championship next week.
Robert Smith,
Simeon (Chicago): The Wolverines have won four state titles in just eight seasons under Smith and are favored to add a fifth. Simeon is ranked No. 4 in the Xcellent 25.
Steve Turner,
Gonzaga (Washington, D.C.): The Eagles won their first 19 games of the season and were ranked No. 2 nationally before losing junior point guard Nate Britt to injury.