Zed Key enters transfer portal after four years at Ohio State

As the 2023–2024 season went on, the Long Island senior’s minutes and output decreased.
Zed Key intends to use his remaining eligibility somewhere other than Columbus, according to an announcement made today, following a season in which his playing time and possibilities vanished toward the end, along with the firing of Chris Holtmann.

The Columbus Dispatch’s Adam Jardy revealed the initial news. Zed Key, the former captain of the Buckeyes, logs into the transfer site after four years at Ohio State. Over the course of four seasons, Key participated in 120 games, amassing 890 career points and 599 rebounds. Even though the 6-foot-8 senior from Long Island only had one year left of eligibility, he was honored on Ohio State’s Senior Day on March 3. When Chris Holtmann was sacked, turnover was to be expected, although the number of anticipated departures was somewhat reduced.

Key was a 2020 class of three-star recruit. In that year, he was ranked No. 23 center, No. 153 player overall, and #4 in the state of New York for player rankings. He was the least highly regarded commit in Ohio State’s 2020 recruiting class, while Eugene Brown and Meechie Johnson were both ranked as four-star players.

Even though not many power five schools were interested in recruiting Key, when healthy, he was a very productive and successful post player for the Buckeyes. His greatest season was in his junior year (2022–2023), when he played through a horrific and chronic shoulder injury for several games before being sidelined for the entire season in late February. He averaged 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game on 54.7% shooting.
Fans loved Key, especially the younger ones. Every time he scored, Ohio State supporters behind the basket at the Schottenstein Center were enthused thanks to his finger-gun celebrations for and-one baskets and his “raise the roof” gestures for dunks. Before and after games, he was virtually always signing autographs for younger fans. Zed seemed to have gotten the most out of his four years at Ohio State.
However, sophomore center Felix Okpara, who has established himself as one of the top shot blockers in the Big Ten, earned Key more playing time this past season. Compared to Key, whose skill set is more suited for a slow, methodical half-court pace, Okpara was the lob threat that Key never was, and he made the offense operate much more smoothly and quickly. Upon the conclusion of the season and Holtmann’s dismissal, Devin Royal also started to reduce Key’s playing time.

After averaging 11.7 minutes per game in his freshman year, the senior big man ended up playing the fewest minutes since then. With 15.5 minutes played per game, he concluded this season with final stats of 6.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 51.6% overall shooting.
Key has joined Roddy Gayle, Scotty Middleton, and Bowen Hardman as the fourth player from the team to access the transfer window during the off-season. Ohio State currently has three available scholarships for the 2024–2025 campaign as a result of Zed’s departure.

It wouldn’t be shocking to see Key move to a more local East Coast location. With one year left in high school, Rutgers, Boston College, Buffalo, Providence, and Seton Hall could all likely discuss the possibility of pursuing him again. He might also decide to go back to DePaul in order to see Holtmann again.

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