TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama basketball received welcomed news Tuesday as starter Braxton Key withdrew his name from the NBA Draft and will be returning to the Crimson Tide for his sophomore season, according to multiple reports
ESPN was the first to announce the decision. Shortly after, Key tweeted "#Buckleup," Alabama's team slogan, from his personal Twitter account.
The 6-foot-8 swingman earned SEC All-Freshman honors last season, leading the team with 12 points per game while finishing second with 5.7 rebounds per game and 2.5 assists per game.
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Key declared for the NBA Draft in April but did so without an agent, giving him until May 24 to remove his name and return to school. The former four-star recruit and No. 64 player in the 2016 class, will now return to Alabama where he will join an incoming recruiting class that ranks No. 5 in the nation.
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The Tide’s 2017 class is headlined by five-star guards Collin Sexton (No. 7 overall) and John Petty (No. 25 overall) and is the Tide’s highest-ranked class in school history. Along with Sexton and Petty, the Alabama will bring in four-star guard Herb Jones (No. 86 overall), power forward Alex Reese (No. 95 overall) and three-star center Galin Smith.
Sophomore center Daniel Giddens will also be available after sitting out last season following his transfer from Ohio State. Earlier this month, Alabama head coach Avery Johnson confirmed Ar’Mond Davis will return despite the forward previously announcing his intent to transfer.
“We think if we can keep it all together we can have a team that can compete at a higher level next year,” Johnson said at Alabama’s basketball banquet in April.
