The Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that it will have eight new members with the addition of the Class of 2024. The incoming class of legends will be inducted during a banquet on May 18, 2024, as part of the annual TABC Clinic.
The new members include four coaches and four players. The new coach members are C.L. Nix, Cassandra McCurdy, Gary Surratt and Suzanne Oelschlegel. Player inductees are Carol Bailey, Kendrick Perkins, Heather Schreiber and Jimmy Smith.
“This is an outstanding class for the Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame,” said TABC Director Rick Sherley. “These men and women exemplify the best that Texas has to offer on the court. They have also made a positive impact off the court.”
The Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame banquet and the TABC Clinic will take place in San Antonio May 16-18. In addition to the Hall of Fame induction banquet, the clinic features presentations from the top college coaches from around the United States.
The Texas High School Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024
C.L. Nix (Coach) - Nix was at the helm at Whitehouse High School for 30 years. During that span, his teams won 714 games, including 26 seasons with more than 20 wins. He led them to three State Tournament appearances in 1972, 1978 and 1979, winning the State Championship in 1978 with a 36-1 record. The Whitehouse High School gym is named in his honor.
Gary Surratt (Coach) - Surratt coached for 36 years with stops that included Crowley, Carthage and Huntsville High Schools. During that span, his teams won 667 games and made 23 playoff appearances. He won two State Championships: one at Huntsville in 1979 and one at Crowley in 1999. Surratt won numerous Coach of the Year awards throughout his career.
Cassandra McCurdy (Coach) - McCurdy coached for 37 years, with 28 of those years at Dallas Skyline High School. During her tenure, Skyline had a record of 627 wins, 20 district championships, 23 consecutive playoff appearances, nine regional tournament appearances and a State Runner-Up finish in 2015. She was selected District Coach of the Year 15 times. The basketball court at Skyline is named in her honor.
Suzanne Oelschlegel (Coach) - Oelschlegel spent 42 years coaching at Irving MacArthur High School. As head coach, she guided her teams to 885 wins and a 5A State Championship in 2011. Known as Coach “O,” she tutored 13 McDonald’s All-Americans and three future WNBA players. The basketball court at MacArthur is named in her honor.
Kendrick Perkins (Player) - Perkins led Beaumont Ozen High School to four consecutive district championships, three consecutive trips to the State Tournament in 2001, 2002 and 2003, including the 4A State Championship in 2001, with a perfect 36-0 season. Perkins was selected the 4A State Tournament MVP and was named Texas’ Mr. Basketball in 2003. As a senior, he averaged 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 8.8 blocks per game, while being named a McDonald’s All-American and drafted by the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies.
Jimmy Smith (Player) - Smith, who prepped at Victoria High School, was a four-time All-District player, a three-time All-Region player and a three-time All-State Player. He was the USA Today Texas Player of the Year and was selected as the MVP of the State Tournament his junior year in 1992. He was named Mr. Basketball in the State of Texas in 1993. Smith went on to play for Texas A&M.
Carol Bailey (Player) - Bailey helped lead the Levelland High School Loboettes to three consecutive State Championships in 1987, 1988 and 1989. She was named to the All-State and All- State Tournament Teams for each of those years. She was the 1-4A Sophomore of the Year 1987, Amarillo Globe Player of the Year 1988, the 1989 Sports Writers Association 4A Player of the Year, Lubbock Avalanche 4A All-South Plains Player of the Year and the TABC Player of the Year. She played collegiately at South Plains College and Wayland Baptist University
Heather Schreiber (Player) - Schreiber led Windthorst High School to a four-year record of 105-16, which included a State Runner-Up finish in 2001. She was a four-time All-State player and a Parade All-American in 2001. She scored 2,571 points, grabbed 1,237 rebounds and had 513 assists in her high school career. Schreiber went on to become a four-time All-Conference performer for legendary coach Jody Conradt at the University of Texas.
