Gene Keady to return to the Purdue sidelines...for an alumni game

It’s been seven years since Gene Keady, now a special assistant to Steve Lavin at St. John’s, worked the sidelines at Mackey Arena.

Thanks to the Purdue alumni game on August 4 that wait will come to an end, as Keady will coach one of the two teams with the other being coached by current head coach Matt Painter.

Painter played four seasons for Keady at Purdue, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 1993.

To say that coach Keady, who isn’t too sure as to whether or not they’ll have a practice before the game, is looking forward to his return to Mackey Arena would be accurate.

“It will be great to see everybody and have a good time talking to old friends,” he said. “It’s going to be fun to see all the players I haven’t seen in a while and maybe coach some younger ones.”

The event, which will be followed by the 2012-13 edition going through an intrasquad scrimmage, is a first for the program and is being called the “Purdue Basketball Family Reunion.”

Players such as Brian Cardinal (“Citizen Pain” anyone?), Chris Kramer and David Teague are expected to play in the game, and the rosters have yet to be completed so maybe there are a few other stars waiting in the wings.

But it’s safe to say that the star of the show will be the man who led the Boilermakers to 512 victories and six Big Ten championships.

Raphielle is also the assistant editor at CollegeHoops.net and can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.