By Paul Trembacki
Staff Writer

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — When Purdue faces Gonzaga in the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 tonight, there will be an extra player with the team.

The Boilers will still have the usual 11 players on the bench. But Gary McQuay, who played for Purdue from 1996-1999, will be there in spirit as he watches from a hospital bed in Chicago.

It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. McQuay was supposed to transfer to Florida Atlantic following his departure from the team at the end of last season. However, McQuay became ill and, around Christmas time, received some bad news.

His brother Greg, the Boilers’ starting center, had the misfortune of accompanying Gary to the hospital in their hometown of Gary.

"They told him that he was anemic," said Greg. "But my mother went in and got another opinion on it in Chicago and they said it was acute leukemia. Right now he’s going through chemotherapy."

Gary’s situation has motivated Greg to play hard. But it was difficult for Greg to concentrate solely on basketball and he struggled, forcing himself out of the starting lineup.

But Greg broke out of his slump last Saturday and led sixth-seeded Purdue to a 66-62 win over third-seeded Oklahoma. He led the team in scoring with 16 points and played strong interior defense to limit the effectiveness of Oklahoma All-American Eduardo Najera.

"I just dedicated the game to (Gary)," said Greg. "I miss him. I miss playing with him.

"We were real close. We played ball all our lives together in high school and in junior high."

Coach Gene Keady said Greg’s strong game was good to see after the senior had struggled throughout most of the Big Ten season.

"It’s great to see seniors step up that haven’t been doing well lately," said Keady.

Greg thinks his brother was also happy to watch Greg excel. While Greg didn’t know exactly what Gary was doing Saturday, he did have a guess.

"He probably was jumping up and down with the monitors hooked up to him in his hospital room," said Greg.

What Gary was doing during Purdue’s trip to Tucson, Ariz., for the first two rounds of the tournament may not be known, but what he did before it definitely was known and felt.

"He talked to all of us before he left and told us to go out and play hard," said Greg. "We did that and we made him happy."

Greg and his teammates will try to make Gary happy at 7:55 tonight when the Boilers take on the Bulldogs in The Pit on the University of New Mexico’s campus.

Greg said Gary has a big heart and is doing his best to fight his leukemia and swears he will one day play again. Greg also said Gary will be in Albuquerque in Greg’s heart.

"He didn’t get to go with us to the Sweet 16 last year," said Greg. "So this year I want to get to the Final Four for him. His courage is with me."