Braxton Key is headed to a familiar place. According to multiple reports, the former Alabama forward has chosen Virginia as his next school after announcing his transfer from Alabama last month.
Key will be required to sit out the upcoming 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules. He will have three years to play out two years of college eligibility.
The Charlotte, N.C., native played his high school basketball at Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va. Now he will be playing four hours north in Charlottesville, Va. Virginia finished 31-3 last season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers became the first No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed as they were defeated 74-54 by University of Maryland Baltimore in the first round.
Key missed the first 10 games of last season with a knee injury. The setback led to a disappointing sophomore season in which he averaged just 7.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, down from the 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds he averaged when he was named to the 2017 SEC All-Freshman team.
Key came to Alabama as a four-star recruit and was rated as the No. 64 player overall in the 2016 class.
“Braxton certainly has a bright future, but he has to do what’s best for him,” Alabama head coach Avery Johnson said in a release last month. “We wish him nothing but the best of luck in his future endeavors.”
