Alabama’s Braxton Key Named SEC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week
1/30/2017 10:31:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Key Averaged 22.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in leading Tide to a pair of league victories last week
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman forward Braxton Key has been selected as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week, league officials announced on Monday.
Key becomes the first Crimson Tide player to earn the league's freshman of the week award since Shannon Hale earned the accolade on March 3, 2014.
Key, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward from Charlotte, N.C., earned the weekly honor after helping Alabama to a pair of SEC victories. Key averaged 22.5 points and 9.0 rebounds, while shooting 45.8 percent (11-of-24) from the floor, 50.0 percent (4-of-8) from three and 70.8 percent (19-of-27) from the charity stripe, while leading the Crimson Tide to wins at Georgia and vs. Mississippi State.
Key began the week leading the Tide to an impressive 80-60 road win at Georgia last Tuesday – Alabama's largest win over the Bulldogs in 12 years. Key led the charge with a career-high 26 points to go along with nine rebounds and a pair of assists. He connected on 7-of-11 shots from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, while also knocking down 9-of-13 free throws.
Following that performance, Key scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds in a 71-62 victory vs. Mississippi State on Saturday. He recorded career highs in free throws made and attempted as he led the Tide to the team's eighth win over its last 10 games.
Key entered last weekend's action as one of only seven NCAA Division I freshmen to lead his team in both scoring and rebounding. As a result of Key's standout play, the Crimson Tide is off to a 6-2 start to league play – the best start in conference play since winning six of its first eight games to begin the 2012-13 SEC season.
Key and the Crimson Tide will be back in action on Wednesday night when Alabama takes on Arkansas inside Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
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