CANYON, Texas – Former West Texas State and current Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach, Maurice Cheeks was one of 13 former standout basketball players to be named to the Naismith Hall of Fame Class of 2018. 
 
Cheeks played for the Buffs from 1974-1978, where he currently is seventh all-time in career scoring with 1,277 points, while ranking sixth in field goals made (460), fifth in field goal percentage (.568 on 460 of 810), sixth in free throws made (307), fourth in free throw attempts.  He is fourth in assists in a season with 212 during the 1976-77) season.  He earned all-conference honors during his time at WT and helped lead the team to the Missouri Valley Conference final in 1976-77. 
 
Following his career at WT, Cheeks played 15 years in the NBA, including 11 with the Philadelphia 76ers and was a four-time all-star, along with three trips to the NBA Finals (1980, 1982 and 1983).  He was named to four-straight NBA All-Defensive squads from 1983-1986.  He ranks fifth all-time in NBA history in steals and 11^th in assists, while averaging 11.7 points per game, and averaged over two steals per game for his career.
 
Following retirement in 1993, Cheeks went on to coach in the NBA as he was a head coach for the Sixers before the start of the 2005-06 season, going 122-147 there and also coached the Detroit Pistons and the Portland Trailblazers.  On June 29, 2015, Cheeks returned to the Thunder as an assistant coach. 
 
Cheeks enters the Hall of Fame with a storied class, including Ray Allen, Grant Hill, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Lefty Driesell, Rod Thorn, Dino Radja, Charlie Scott, Katie Smith, Tina Thompson, Ora Mae Washington and Rick Welts. 
 
The 2018 Class was announced at the NCAA Division I Men's Final Four this past weekend in San Antonio, Texas, and will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame, Sept. 6-8 in Springfield, Mass.
 
Check back with www.gobuffsgo.com for complete coverage following the selection shows on when and where the games will be, and more.