Gene Keady has some spunk left, even near the end of his frustrating farewell season.
Keady defended the Big Ten from critics who say the league is down this year, and he pointed to Wisconsin forward Mike Wilkinson as the type of smart, skilled student-athlete it still produces.
“I told him he’s what college sports is all about,” Keady said of his postgame chat with Wilkinson, who led Wisconsin to a 64-52 victory over Purdue on Saturday that ensured the Boilermakers of the first 20-loss season in the program’s 107-year history. “He got better, graduated on time.”
Wilkinson was touched by Keady’s kind words.
“They mean a lot,” he said. “He’s seen a lot of players come and go in this league.”
Keady also said the league deserves to send six teams to the NCAA tournament: Illinois, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and Indiana.
Wilkinson and Alando Tucker each scored 14 points for the 23rd-ranked Badgers (20-7, 11-5 Big Ten), who secured a No. 3 seed in the conference tournament. David Teague’s 17 points led the Boilermakers (7-20, 3-13).
The Badgers jumped out to a 24-point first-half lead as it took Purdue 13 minutes to reach double figures in scoring.