INDIANAPOLIS — Legendary Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady is again on the verge of the Hall of Fame.
Keady is among 12 finalists for induction in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the Hall announced Friday. Keady was also a finalist for the Hall in 2004 and 2006.
A seven-time Big Ten Coach of the Year, Keady led the Boilermakers to 512 wins in 24 seasons, the most victories ever for a Purdue coach, and six Big Ten championships. He was named National Coach of the Year six times.
Keady was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.
He's part of a star-studded class that also includes NBA stars Pau Gasol, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker and Dwyane Wade, along with the NBA's all-time winningest coach Gregg Popovich, who won five NBA titles. College coaches Gene Bess, whose 1,300 wins are the most by any college coach in history, and David Hixon also were named finalists.
The Hall's Women's Committee named four finalists, including six-time WNBA All-Star Becky Hammon and 1990 Naismith Player of the Year Jennifer Azzi, along with coaches Gary Blair and Marian Washington.
“The Class of 2023 will be remembered as one of the most distinguished classes the Hall of Fame will ever see, and we are extremely excited for this unparalleled collection of talent and achievement to be one step closer to Springfield,” Hall of Fame Chairman Jerry Colangelo said.
The Class of 2023 will be announced at the Men's NCAA Final Four in Houston on April 1. Enshrinement festivities will take place Aug. 11-12 in Springfield, Mass.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story.)