Keady honored with 'a piece of IU'

When a visitor gets cheered in Assembly Hall, something must be up.\nBut a coach?\nWere the Hoosier faithful feeling OK, Tuesday night?\nThe evening might have started with the welling up of some eyes, but it ended with smiles on those same faces. \nThere was nothing but admiration for Purdue coach Gene Keady as he walked out of the visitors' tunnel on the way to coach his 24th and last game against his closest rival in Assembly Hall. \nThe closer he got to his spot on the bench the louder the standing ovation crescendoed. By the time he found his spot marked with a white "X" -- four chairs from the scorers' table -- the crowd of 17,428 was on their feet cheering the legend.\n"Well, the ovation was very much appreciated," Keady said after the game. "I think that's pretty unusual when you have that type (of rivalry). That's very much appreciated. I'll remember that for a long time. But I'll remember the butt kicking they gave us longer. That's the way it's been going. They give you gifts and they kick your butt."\nOne by one each Hoosier walked up to him and shook his hand. \nThere were players he's never met, players he's recruited and even one who told him he'd like to wear the black and gold but then opted for the crimson and cream.\nTo honor the retiring coaching legend, IU coach Mike Davis presented Keady with a 4-foot by 3-foot oil painting on a piece of the Assembly Hall floor. \n"My wife might burn it," Keady joked. "We won't because it was very special. It was very much appreciated and very special. I want to thank the IU people. We've always had a very good relationship except twice a year." \nIU Athletics Director Rick Greenspan said his department came up with the idea for a painting because it was something different than the slew of golf clubs, trips, rocking chairs and humidors Keady has already received. \n"I thought it was great to give him a painting and a part of the floor," Davis said. \nThe legendary Keady bulldog scowl came out a few times during Purdue's 79-62 loss to IU. His intensity, which caused his arms to famously flail like a departing helicopter's rotors, struck IU President Adam Herbert. \n"He's done an outstanding job as coach at Purdue," Herbert said. "He's been a role model for many coaches around the country. I told him before the game that he has been an incredible competitor." \nIn the end, when the clock struck triple zeros, Keady walked off the court as he walked in -- to a standing ovation of the remaining Hoosier fans. \n"I'll always remember the respect they gave me," Keady said. "They treated me nicely for what? Two minutes. Forty minutes they didn't. That part was special."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Josh Weinfuss at jweinfus@indiana.edu.