Braxton Key
Braxton Key (born February 14, 1997) is an American college basketball player for the Virginia Cavaliers of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
.jpg) Key in February 2019 | |
| No. 2 – Virginia Cavaliers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | Atlantic Coast Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | February 14, 1997 Charlotte, North Carolina |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Early life and high school career
Key is the nephew of NBA player Ralph Sampson, who starred at the University of Virginia.[1][2] Key's father Eric Key played at Radford. Key played three seasons for Christ Presbyterian Academy.[3] He transferred to Oak Hill Academy, where he led the team to a 45-1 record and national championship.[4]
College career
Key averaged a team-high 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman at Alabama. He scored a season-high 26 points against Georgia and was named to the All-SEC Freshman team.[4] As a sophomore, Key averaged 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.4 blocks per game. He was hobbled by a knee injury that forced him to miss some playing time.[5]
After the season, Key transferred to Virginia and was granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the NCAA.[5] In the 2018–19 season, Key won a national championship at Virginia, scoring six points, pulling down 10 rebounds and blocking one shot in the title game against Texas Tech.[6] Key averaged 5.7 points and 5.3 rebounds as a junior, starting six games.[7] Key had surgery for a wrist injury in November 2019 and missed several games.[8] He returned to action on December 18 against Stony Brook.[9] At the conclusion of the regular season, Key was named All-ACC Honorable Mention.[10] As a senior, Key averaged 9.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.[11]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–17 | Alabama | 34 | 30 | 29.8 | .433 | .330 | .634 | 5.7 | 2.5 | .6 | .6 | 12.0 |
| 2017–18 | Alabama | 26 | 17 | 25.2 | .409 | .250 | .667 | 5.3 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .4 | 7.0 |
| 2018–19 | Virginia | 38 | 6 | 19.8 | .433 | .305 | .731 | 5.3 | 1.0 | .9 | .6 | 5.7 |
| 2019–20 | Virginia | 27 | 25 | 33.6 | .435 | .185 | .584 | 7.4 | 1.8 | 1.2 | .6 | 9.9 |
| Career | 125 | 78 | 26.6 | .429 | .274 | .645 | 5.8 | 1.8 | .9 | .6 | 8.6 | |
References
- Needelman, Josh (April 9, 2019). "Virginia's Braxton Key shares special moment with cousin Ralph Sampson after winning national title". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Wood, Norm (January 8, 2019). "Key finding his niche for U.Va., which plays Wednesday night at Boston College". Daily Press. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Doughty, Doug (June 29, 2018). "Plenty of Virginia ties drew men's basketball transfer Braxton Key to the Cavaliers". Roanoke Times. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- "Virginia guard Braxton Key granted NCAA waiver, is eligible to play immediately". The Daily Progress. October 22, 2018. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Boone, Kyle (October 22, 2018). "Why No. 5 Virginia got immediate eligibility for Alabama transfer Braxton Key". CBS Sports. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Needelman, Josh (April 9, 2019). "Virginia's Braxton Key shares special moment with cousin Ralph Sampson after winning national title". The Daily Progress. Retrieved April 9, 2019.
- Flaherty, Kevin (October 29, 2019). "Virginia's Braxton Key tapped as potential breakout player". 247 Sports. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- "Virginia's Braxton Key out of lineup following wrist surgery". ESPN. November 27, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2019.
- Conlin, Bennett (December 18, 2019). "Braxton Key returns as No. 9 Virginia turns away upset-minded Stony Brook". The Daily Progress. Retrieved December 31, 2019.
- "2020 ACC Men's Basketball Award Winners Announced". theacc.com. Atlantic Coast Conference. March 9, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- Darney, Caroline Darney (March 9, 2020). "Diakite, Clark, and Key represent Virginia on All-ACC teams". Streaking the Lawn. SB Nation. Retrieved March 23, 2020.