Ohio State basketball: Zed Key ready to take a step forward

The Ohio State basketball team. survived an upset scare in a 67-66 season-opening win over Akron thanks to Zed Key’s last-second layup on Tuesday night in Columbus. Ohio State led by three points with less than 30 seconds remaining before Ali Ali’s clutch 4-point play gave the Zips a 66-65 lead with just six seconds left.

Following a timeout from Chris Holtmann, Malaki Branham found Key open under the rim for the game-winning bucket as the Buckeyes avoided a disastrous start to the season.

Key had 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocks in the narrow win, while E.J. Liddell had a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds for Ohio State before fouling out in the final seconds. OSU didn’t get a lot of production outside of the frontcourt as Justin Aherns, Justice Sueing, and Jamari Wheeler combined to score 11 points on 3-14 shooting from the field. Holtmann’s team is obviously going to have to sharpen up going forward but the big men remain a bright spot.

“This year we are taking it day by day. We are not looking forward to the future. We know it is going to be a very long season and we are preparing for it every day in practice,” Key told me a month ago. “I look back at my freshman season and I learned that you need to be in the best shape of your life to be able to play at a high level for the whole game. I also learned to pay attention to the scout in greater detail.”

After mainly coming off the bench during his freshman year, Key was inserted into the starting lineup against Akron as Kyle Young continues to miss time with vestibular dysfunction and has no timetable for a return. Key could hang onto the starting spot if he’s able to produce at a consistent rate. He and fellow sophomore Meechie Johnson got a chance to attend Team USA’s U-19 World Cup training camp in June and competed against several NBA prospects.

The New York product, who averaged 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds last year, seems ready to take a step forward in his second season on campus after a successful offseason and strong season opener: “It was a great experience being invited to the USA U-19 training camp. I’ve taken things that I learned there and incorporated it into my game. My mindset is to increase my production in every category and help the team win any way that I can.”

Key saved his team as the Buckeyes barely secured an 18th straight win in the season opener. It’s possible that the Ohio State basketball team could also be tested by Niagara on Friday evening or Bowling Green next week before a highly-anticipated matchup at Xavier.

Holtmann and his staff will need to figure out a way to get more out of the backcourt and play smarter down the stretch as the schedule is going to pick up with Seton Hall and Duke on the horizon as well.