Saturday's sellout crowd of 17,142 at the Kohl Center honored retiring Purdue head coach Gene Keady with two standing ovations prior to tip-off against Wisconsin. Once the game started, the Badgers used a 19-0 run to redirect the fans' attention, as they rolled to a comfortable 64-52 victory on senior night.
For Keady, his farewell tour of the Big Ten has been bittersweet, as the Boilermakers have struggled greatly with inconsistency and injuries. Their record fell to 3-13 in the Big Ten and it is likely his career will conclude in the conference tournament this weekend in Chicago.
Yet, as his final regular season conference game came to an end, Keady treated the media to an array of jokes and commentary on the league and made a lasting impression on those who listened in. He began by addressing the game, which seemed to grow less significant as the day progressed.
\I think Wisconsin thought they had it made, typical human nature stuff,"" Keady said of the Badgers' play in the second half. ""And, of course, the referees wouldn't call the fouls when we got fouled on our shots, biggest trick in the world, I knew you used to do that!""
The man whom he was referring was former Badger athletic director and friend Pat Richter, who stayed after the game to hear the dean of Big Ten college basketball.
Purdue came into the game with just 10 players on the active roster after losing junior Marcus Landry, a Milwaukee native who was averaging 18.2 points per game, due to a torn ACL last week. Presented with this challenge, Keady at times divided his team into two groups and implemented hockey-style line changes as means for substitution.
The unorthodox brand of coaching began before the game started as he presented his players with control over the starting lineup.
""We asked who wanted to start,"" said Keady. ""Five guys put their hand up and those guys got to start, probably the first time in 47 years that something like that happened.""
In Keady's 25 years in the Big Ten, he has watched his conference grow into one of the most dominating and respected in the nation. At the same time, he takes exception to comments made by outsiders who question the play within the league.
""I get tired of the commentators saying the Big Ten is down-there are six teams that should get [a berth],"" said Keady. ""I get tired of them ripping the Big Ten-they never coached in this league-we have great fans and great venues.""
He also gave his take on this year's Badger team, which he believes could surprise some people when the NCAA Tournament begins later this month. But individually, it was Badger senior forward Mike Wilkinson who Keady pulled aside after the game for a brief exchange.
""I told him he is what college sports is all about, he got better with each year and graduated on time, he's what it's all about,"" Keady said of the Badger senior.
Like many who have watched Wilkinson this year, Keady agreed he is capable of playing at the next level, and compared him to former Purdue standout and current Memphis Grizzly Brian Cardinal.
A return to Madison seems likely for Keady, as he was presented before the game with a set of four engraved golf clubs and an outing to Whistling Straits.
""They got me a golf trip and clubs, [the] golf trip is the best,"" Keady said, with a smile. ""It's up here at your favorite course, the Straits, but I can't tell you everything, someone might come up there and ask for my autograph.""
Badger head coach Bo Ryan already had a foursome in mind, as he hoped past and present athletic directors Richter and Barry Alvarez could join him and Keady.
Though no confirmation has been made about the future golf outing, Keady gave all those who watched his final game in Madison something to remember him by. He yelled and screamed at his players and continued to teach until the final buzzer of Saturday's game. He laughed with old friends and praised the conference he helped build.
All in all, Gene Keady represented college basketball not just on Saturday, but during his entire career and will be missed by all who follow the game.
