By Scott Ratcliffe
The great Tom Petty once sang how the waiting is the hardest part. For Virginia junior Braxton Key, waiting months and months for a decision from the NCAA on whether he’d be eligible to play this season wasn’t easy, but now that he’s cleared and ready to contribute, he can look back positively on the experience.
“It was a long process, that’s for sure,” Key said during Thursday’s media session. “It dates back for a while, but it’s humbling. It’s a blessing. I’m excited that I get to play.”
Key, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound transfer from the University of Alabama, was granted his hardship waiver request early last week after spending nearly the entire offseason wondering if he’d have to sit out an extra year. He was elated when he finally received word that he’d be on the floor for the ‘Hoos this season.
“It was obviously a blessing,” said Key, a nephew of Cavalier legend Ralph Sampson who averaged 9.8 points and 5.5 rebounds over his two seasons with the Crimson Tide under Coach Avery Johnson. “I was optimistic the whole time about it. I was hoping and praying that I would get it, but once I got the news it was a relief honestly.”
Throughout the process, Key remained upbeat and hopeful that he’d be on the floor — in uniform — in early November, with encouragement from his new basketball family along the way.
“Honestly in my mind I thought I was going to be playing all year, I just kind of was trying to speak good things into the universe and just see where it would go from there,” admitted Key. “The guys around here have been great — [Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter] have been picking me up and saying, ‘You may be able to play this year, you may not. But just, if you are going to play, you might want to practice in case, like you’re gonna play.’ So it’s better to be safe than sorry kind of method.”
Key grew up in Charlotte, N.C., and went on to play at Oak Hill Academy before choosing Alabama over UVa and others. Ironically, Key said he came close to making Charlottesville his home until he heard that his now-teammate Hunter had committed.
“Really close. I mean, [the Cavaliers] were in my top four,” Key said when asked about possibly committing to the Wahoos originally. “I wasn’t able to take a visit. I really wanted to but Dre committed the week I was supposed to take a visit.”
Now the two will share the floor in a versatile lineup on both ends. Key is technically listed as a guard, but like Hunter, he can play at multiple positions as well as defend multiple positions, and that has his coaches, his teammates and the rest of Wahoo Nation excited for the possibilities.
So is he a shooting guard? A small forward? A power forward? Key’s response when asked what he sees himself as in terms of position was simple.
“I think I’m a basketball player,” Key said. “I don’t really like to limit myself to one position or two. I can play whatever I need to, so if I need to play the point sometimes, I will do that. If I need to play the [center position] and battle down with guys like [Jack Salt], I’ll do that. Whatever I need to do to help the team win.”
Being able to play when and where he’s needed depending on the opponent, the matchup, the situation, etc., could play a huge role in just how successful the ‘Hoos can be this season, especially after losing guys like Isaiah Wilkins and Devon Hall, who could do a little of everything in their own right.
Coach Bennett says while Key and Hunter have similar length, abilities and skill sets, they each bring their own uniqueness to what can be a nightmare for opposing coaches to prepare for, especially on the defensive end.
“They have little differences but I like them both defensively when they’re locked in and playing,” said the coach. “The physicality on the glass, Dre maybe finishes a little better in certain areas, Braxton at times has played some point combo, he can handle the ball.
“I just think they’re good players that bring versatility and still have room for growth in their games, and I believe they really want to be a part of a team that can pursue something really good. I’m thankful that [Key] got eligible, and he’ll have to continue to earn everything, but I know that he’s excited and we’re excited to have him and have more quality depth.”
Key is eager to get on the floor and be a part of a team with various weapons.
“Defensively I think it makes us a lot more athletic,” Key said of the possibility of playing alongside Guy, Jerome, Hunter and Mamadi Diakite at the same time in certain lineups with the ability to guard all positions. “We all can guard 1 through 5, so maybe we can do some different things [like] switch 1 through 5. Coach is flirting with a couple things but we’ll see what happens with whatever he wants to do.”
Jerome touched on what exactly Key will add, in all aspects, to what was already a deadly team to be reckoned with.
“It makes us more versatile to begin with,” Jerome said of what Key brings to the table. “He can guard pretty much every position on the court which is huge for our defense, so we’ll be able to switch with him, he’ll be able to blow up ball screens, he’ll be able to guard guards, guard bigs, which is really huge for our defense.
“And then his feel might be his best asset to his game. He really sees the court, he has good feel for the game, so he’ll add a ton. He’s definitely a big addition.”
Key went up against Guy and Diakite back when they were in high school on the Adidas AAU circuit, and that having them as references in terms of life around Grounds has been great.
Guy admitted at ACC Operation Basketball last week that he was friends with Key back then and that the two even roomed together at the Adidas Nations event, and he was really hoping to play alongside Key out of high school, but that Key ultimately chose to play in the SEC.
“That’s his fault, that’s not mine,” Guy said with a chuckle. “But now he’s here and things are good, and I’m just really excited that he got the waiver, because I know that that was weighing heavy on him, so that relief is good.”
Key says that Diakite has made strides since the days of AAU and believes Diakite may open some folks’ eyes in terms of how far he’s come in the offseason.
“Mamadi has expanded his game a lot, I think a lot of people will be surprised to see his evolution from last year,” admitted Key. “I’ve played against Mamadi since my junior or senior year in high school, so just seeing how he’s evolved from there to now, it’s crazy.”
It was a long summer and fall for Key and the Wahoos, but now that he’s officially on board, the possibilities are endless.
