Arni's Birthday Zoom: Purdue legend Billy Keller
Purdue Hall-of-Fame member Billy Keller shares his experiences as a Boilermaker legendary basketball player (1967-69) on this 76th birthday (August 30, 2023). Keller, the only Boilermaker to experience Purdue’s two NCAA Final Four appearances as a player (1969) and assistant coach (1980), shares his experiences about his successful basketball life.
Keller’s remarkable basketball career included a state title in Indianapolis, Washington H.S.(1965) and being named Indiana Mr. Basketball later that same year. In college, he was a three-year starter for Purdue coach George King and was the point guard on coach King’s 1969 Final Four Team. Professionally, Keller was a key cog in the Indiana Pacers’ three ABA titles in the early 1970s. One of the most beloved figures in the history of basketball in the state of Indiana, Keller continued his basketball life coaching in college at Indiana Central (now UIndy), working for the Indiana Pacers and hosting basketball camps.
“Mr. Hustle,” as he was called during his playing days, spends much of the year in the St. Petersburg area of Florida and felt fortunate that the place he lives came out OK in the recent Hurricane Idalia. During the warmer months in Indiana, he and his wife Joyce follow their four grandchildren’s athletic exploits. His two granddaughters play college volleyball in Ohio (Dayton and Marietta), one of his grandsons, Luke Almodovar, was a guard on the Indiana All-Star team and the other is a basketball player as well and is considering attending Purdue in engineering after this year.
“I have been very fortunate, but it has given me so many great memories,” Keller said.
Keller averaged 14.1 points per game throughout his Purdue career and tallied 1,056 points. He received the Naismith Award his senior year, given to the nation’s best player under 6 feet. He made a living in the ABA by being a deadly three-point shooter, something the league was known for in its early days.
Keller averaged 14.1 points per game throughout his Purdue career and tallied 1,056 points. He received the Naismith Award his senior year, given to the nation’s best player under 6 feet. He made a living in the ABA by being a deadly three-point shooter, something the league was known for in its early days.
Recent Arni’s Birthday Zoom interviews of former Purdue athletes:
Howell Wheaton turns 100 (Aug. 17, 2023)
Terone Johnson (July 13, 2023)
Warren “Ike” Moore (May 30, 2023)
Other Arni’s Birthday Zoom links
Jane (Calhoun) Schott (5/5/2021)
Life of Eugene Parker (2/24/2022)
