Braxton Key, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, announced Sunday he's transferring to Virginia after two seasons at Alabama. He will have to sit out the upcoming season and then have two years of eligibility remaining.
Key's uncle is UVa legend Ralph Sampson, and he's said to be good friends with Kyle Guy. Key, who is from Charlotte, said he already had a good relationship with Virginia's coaches, who recruited him out of high school as well. He was supposed to visit Miami after UVa this past week, but reportedly never made it down there.
Key averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a freshman, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc. He had offseason knee surgery and missed the first 10 games of his sophomore season, and his performance tailed off for the Crimson Tide as he averaged 7
points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists. He shot 40.9 percent and 25 percent on 3-pointers. He's shooting around 65 percent for his career at the free throw line.
Key was being recruited as a high schooler until De'Andre Hunter committed to the Cavaliers. The hope is that Key could be a capable replacement for Hunter in two years, should Hunter decide to enter the NBA draft after this upcoming campaign. But it seems as though Key is more of a post player, whereas Hunter is more of a wing. The sport is becoming almost "positionless" as they say, but in traditional terms, you could probably think of Key as a power forward and Hunter as a small forward. UVa used Hunter as a big man in small lineups this past season, and his versatility gave defenses fits. With the way the game has changed, being flexible is so important.
Key's shooting percentage is a little low, but he is said to have good post moves, similar to Anthony Gill, who also transferred from an SEC school (South Carolina) and had two years of eligibility remaining once he got to UVa. I could see Bennett encouraging Key to be more of a post player, but guys love to shoot 3s these days so hopefully, Bennett can get his percentage up should he play a little more like Hunter than Gill. Hunter started out this past season poorly from beyond the 3-point arc, but ended it shooting 38.2 percent.
Any way you look at it, Key, who was rated a four-star prospect in high school, is a great addition for the Wahoos. In addition to Hunter possibly leaving after 2018-19, UVa will lose Jack Salt out of its frontcourt after the season.
There's been a flurry of activity the past month for the UVa men's basketball team, with the announced additions of Casey Morsell, Francisco Caffaro, and now Key. Morsell and Key will be eligible in 2019, while Caffaro will be at UVa this season, but he could redshirt. The dust might not be settled yet, though. Let's wait and see if a graduate transfer, who would be immediately eligible and could make an impact in 2018-19, decides to come to Charlottesville. I'll write more about the upcoming season once it looks like the roster is set.
Key's uncle is UVa legend Ralph Sampson, and he's said to be good friends with Kyle Guy. Key, who is from Charlotte, said he already had a good relationship with Virginia's coaches, who recruited him out of high school as well. He was supposed to visit Miami after UVa this past week, but reportedly never made it down there.
Key averaged 12 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists as a freshman, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and 33 percent from beyond the arc. He had offseason knee surgery and missed the first 10 games of his sophomore season, and his performance tailed off for the Crimson Tide as he averaged 7
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| Braxton Key's stats fell off after his freshman season, but he should provide solid depth for UVa's frontcourt. |
Key was being recruited as a high schooler until De'Andre Hunter committed to the Cavaliers. The hope is that Key could be a capable replacement for Hunter in two years, should Hunter decide to enter the NBA draft after this upcoming campaign. But it seems as though Key is more of a post player, whereas Hunter is more of a wing. The sport is becoming almost "positionless" as they say, but in traditional terms, you could probably think of Key as a power forward and Hunter as a small forward. UVa used Hunter as a big man in small lineups this past season, and his versatility gave defenses fits. With the way the game has changed, being flexible is so important.
Key's shooting percentage is a little low, but he is said to have good post moves, similar to Anthony Gill, who also transferred from an SEC school (South Carolina) and had two years of eligibility remaining once he got to UVa. I could see Bennett encouraging Key to be more of a post player, but guys love to shoot 3s these days so hopefully, Bennett can get his percentage up should he play a little more like Hunter than Gill. Hunter started out this past season poorly from beyond the 3-point arc, but ended it shooting 38.2 percent.
Any way you look at it, Key, who was rated a four-star prospect in high school, is a great addition for the Wahoos. In addition to Hunter possibly leaving after 2018-19, UVa will lose Jack Salt out of its frontcourt after the season.
There's been a flurry of activity the past month for the UVa men's basketball team, with the announced additions of Casey Morsell, Francisco Caffaro, and now Key. Morsell and Key will be eligible in 2019, while Caffaro will be at UVa this season, but he could redshirt. The dust might not be settled yet, though. Let's wait and see if a graduate transfer, who would be immediately eligible and could make an impact in 2018-19, decides to come to Charlottesville. I'll write more about the upcoming season once it looks like the roster is set.
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