Sutton coached NCAA Tournament teams at Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State. There were Final Four appearances in 1978 (with Arkansas) and in 1995 and 2004 (with OSU).

While Sutton has been inducted into several halls of fame, recognition in the Naismith hall is the ultimate for basketball figures.

The Sutton family released a statement on Twitter: “Once again, the phone rings and what should be a joyful moment for the Sutton family becomes instead an outpouring of sadness. Our first reaction each time is confusion & anger toward (the voting panel) for once again failing to acknowledge the great career and accomplishments of this worthy candidate.

“However, this year is different. ... Each year, we set ourselves up for disappointment by giving (voters) the power to crush this dream. The truth is, we do not need their vote to tell us what kind of man he is, or to validate what a gifted coach he is.

“He is Eddie Sutton — Father, Papa, Coach and friend — and their votes, or lack thereof, cannot take that away. For us and thousands of fans, he is a Hall of Famer!”

Predictably, there were expressions of outrage Tuesday from Oklahoma State people who use Twitter.