The Virginia Cavaliers have picked up some help for the 2018-2019 season just before it starts. Braxton Key transferred from Alabama in May but was expected to have to sit out a year before he took the court for the Cavaliers. Key should be an instant plug into the starting lineup for head coach Tony Bennett. Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome returned for the Virginia backcourt and De’Andre Hunter is also back on the wing. Braxton Key will pair nicely in this lineup when the season starts.
NCAA Grants Waiver for Transfer Key
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The Virginia Cavaliers are coming off a dominating regular season and later a shocking defeat in the NCAA Tournament to 16 seed UMBC. Braxton Key offers a talented starter to a team that returns the majority of its talent already. The forward averaged seven points and 5.3 rebounds per game last year, but was hampered by a knee injury. The year before as a freshman Key averaged 12 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. He also earned SEC freshmen honors.
Braxton Key has two years of eligibility left and the Cavaliers plan to use him to the top of his capabilities. The talented forward will make Virginia an even bigger threat in the ACC and a key rival for the Duke Blue Devils this year. The race for the ACC may become a two-team competition between Duke and Virginia. North Carolina and Virginia Tech will pose threats, but the level of talent may become an issue. Braxton Key being eligible for the 2018-2019 season is a great news for the Cavaliers. He makes them even deeper and way more talented than they were before.
The Virginia Cavaliers with Braxton Key are a very real threat for the ACC and they could be a major threat for the NCAA Tournament. Braxton Key is also the nephew of Cavaliers legend Ralph Sampson.
