Zach Edey's Gesture to Gene Keady A Perfect Example of Purdue Basketball's 'Family'
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue often talks about its family-like culture. Perhaps there was no better demonstration of what that means than during the Boilermakers' game against No. 1 Michigan on Tuesday night, when two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey returned to West Lafayette and shared a special moment with former head coach Gene Keady.
Edey, who was greeted with a standing ovation during his introduction at Mackey Arena, was in the building for the top-10 showdown between the Boilermakers and Wolverines on Tuesday. So, too, was Keady, who is always sitting front and center when Purdue is playing.
As halftime was winding down and after taking a break from their seats to stretch, Edey was seen assisting Keady back to his courtside spot. It was a really special moment shared between two Purdue icons.
Below is the video, shared by Paul Branham (@BoilerPaulie) on X:
Zach Edey escorting Gene Keady back to his seat from the Wooden Club at halftime is the most wholesome thing you will see today pic.twitter.com/r3pkGacHKA
— Paul Branham (@BoilerPaulie) February 18, 2026
This is just one example of Purdue's family-like culture, and it's one that many will look on fondly. Edey never played under Keady, but it's a sign of how much respect he has for the former Boilermaker head coach.
Keady, Edey both legends at Purdue
Both Keady and Edey have their place in Purdue history. They each had tremendous success during their respective runs in West Lafayette.
Keady coached the Boilermakers from 1980 to 2005, winning 512 games and leading the program to six Big Ten championships. He was a seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year and received the National Coach of the Year award six times in his career.
Purdue played in the NCAA Tournament 17 times in Keady's 25 years at the helm. He is still the all-time winningest basketball coach in program history. He is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Edey played at Purdue from 2020 through 2024, experiencing tremendous success in his final two seasons. He was a two-time Big Ten Player of the Year and National Player of the Year, claiming both awards in 2023 and 2024. He led the Boilermakers to back-to-back Big Ten championships and the program's first Final Four trip (2024) since 1980.
Purdue played in the National Championship Game in Edey's senior season, falling to UConn.
Edey left West Lafayette as Purdue's all-time leading scorer (2,516 points) and rebounder (1,321). He's not just considered one of the best players in program history, he's one of the greatest college basketball has ever seen.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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