Zed Key entering transfer portal after four years at Ohio State
COLUMBUS — Ohio State big man Zed Key gave four years of his college basketball career playing for the Buckeyes.
He’ll have one final year of eligibility, and he’s choosing to spend that year elsewhere; he intends to enter the transfer portal after four seasons with the Buckeyes.
The big man averaged 7.4 points and five rebounds per game across 121 career games at Ohio State. His best season came during his junior campaign, when he averaged 10.8 points per game.
Key’s best game of the season this past year — and possibly his career — came in the upset win over then-No. 1 Purdue at home in mid-February, just after head coach Chris Holtmann was fired and Jake Diebler took over.
That night, teammate Bruce Thornton was asked if Key had ever played that well following Key’s nine points and five steals against AP National Player of the Year Zach Edey.
“No,” Thornton said defiantly, drawing laughter from reporters. “But, at the end of the day, we know what Zed is capable of doing. … That’s why Holt recruited him, that’s why he’s still here for the past four years because we know what he can possibly do. And he showed it tonight.”
Thornton added: “We just know that he can’t BS us no more. Because we know what he really can do. Especially [against] probably the No. 1 big in the country. So I’m really proud of how Zed played, especially defensively. If he keeps playing like that, we’ll be a very good team down the stretch.”
Key remained a big part of the Buckeyes season all the way through the NIT quarterfinals, when they fell to Georgia at home to close out the year.
Now he’s choosing to move on after four years with Ohio State. He’ll finish his collegiate basketball career elsewhere.
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