Zach Edey returns to Purdue basketball, helps Gene Keady to his seat

WEST LAFAYETTE — Despite being down 16 points to top-ranked Michigan at halftime, Purdue basketball fans had something to cheer about ahead of the second half.

Memphis Grizzlies center and the Boilermakers' all-time leading scorer Zach Edey returned to his alma mater during NBA All-Star weekend.

Edey was welcomed to cheers when he arrived to Tuesday's game early in the first half, but his return to the court after the first half was a more wholesome moment.

Returning to his seat for the second half alongside Edey, who scored 2,516 points and was a two-time National Player of the Year at Purdue from 2020-24, was assisting Gene Keady to his seat.

Keady, 89, Purdue's all-time winningest coach with 512 victories over 25 seasons, is a frequent attendee at Boilermaker home games. In 2024, when Edey's 40 points against Tennessee secured Purdue a Final Four berth, Edey cut down a piece of the net in Detroit's Little Caesars Arena and gifted it to Keady.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.

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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Zach Edey returns to Purdue basketball, helps Gene Keady to his seat