{{short description|American basketball player (born 2002)}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Zed Key | image = Zed Key.jpg | image_size = | caption = Key in 2022 | number = 23 | position = Power forward / center | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 8 | weight_lbs = 245 | league = Atlantic 10 Conference | team = Dayton Flyers | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2002|4|4}}<ref name="Date" /> | birth_place = | nationality = American | high_school = Long Island Lutheran<br>(Brookville, New York) | college = * Ohio State (2020–2024) * Dayton (2024–2025) | highlights = }} '''Zed Key''' (born April 4, 2002) is an American college basketball player for the Dayton Flyers of the Atlantic 10 Conference.
==Early life== Key was born on April 4, 2002.<ref name="Date">{{Cite web|url=https://mobile.twitter.com/iamzedkey/status/1378686076966080521?lang=en|title=Tweet|website=Twitter.com}}</ref> He was raised in Bay Shore and went to Brentwood HS through his sophomore season and to Long Island Lutheran High School in Brookville, New York as a junior and senior.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/sports/buckeyextra/|first=Adam|last=Jardy|title=Ohio State men's basketball power rankings: No. 10 Zed Key|website=BuckeyeXtra}}</ref> With teammate and future Illinois point guard André Curbelo, Long Island Lutheran was one of the best high school programs in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.newsday.com/sports/college/college-basketball/andre-curbelo-illinois-zed-key-ohio-state-long-island-lutheran-i92441|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210130171743/https://www.newsday.com/amp/sports/college/college-basketball/andre-curbelo-illinois-zed-key-ohio-state-long-island-lutheran-1.50121870|url-status=live|archive-date=January 30, 2021|first=Owen|last=O'Brien|title=Former LuHi teammates Zed Key, Andre Curbelo face off in Big Ten matchup|website=Newsday}}</ref> In his junior season, Long Island Lutheran won the New York Class AA state championship.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://patch.com/new-york/glencove/li-lutheran-boys-basketball-wins-state-federation-championship|first=Stephen|last=Romano|title=LI Lutheran Wins State Federation Basketball Championship|website=Patch}}</ref> He averaged 18 points and 8.7 rebounds in his senior season.<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/roster/zed-key/|title=Zed Key Bio|website=Ohio State Athletics}}</ref> In wins over national powerhouses Sierra Canyon High School and The Patrick School, Key had standout performances, scoring 25 and 37 points, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zagsblog.com/2020/02/13/ohio-state-signee-zed-key-completes-monster-week-with-37-and-16-as-luhi-tops-the-patrick-school/|first=Adam|last=Zagoria|title=Ohio State signee Zed Key completes monster week with 37 and 16 as LuHi tops the Patrick School|website=ZagsBlog}}</ref>
Key was rated as a three and four-star recruit and ranked as the fourth best player in New York. On September 22, 2019, Key committed to Ohio State over offers from teams such as Florida, Illinois, and Wisconsin.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://usatodayhss.com/2019/zed-key-commits-to-ohio-state-basketball|first=Logan|last=Newman|title=Three-star power forward Zed Key commits to Ohio State|website=USA Today High School Sports}}</ref>
{{College Athlete Recruit Start|collapse=no|year=2020}} {{College Athlete Recruit Entry | recruit= Zed Key | position= PF | hometown= Bay Shore, NY | highschool = Long Island Lutheran (NY) | feet= 6 | inches = 7 | weight = 215 | 40 = | commitdate= September 22, 2019 | scout stars = | rivals stars = 4 | 247 stars= 3 | espn stars= 4 | espn grade= 80 }} {{College Athlete Recruit End | 40 = | year = 2020 | rivals ref title = Ohio State 2020 Basketball Commitments | scout ref title = | espn ref title= 2020 Ohio State Buckeyes Recruiting Class | 247 ref title = | rivals school= ohiostate | 247 school = | espn schoolid= 194 | scout overall = | rivals overall= 113 | 247 overall= 155 | espn overall= N/A | accessdate= February 26, 2022 | bball= yes }}
==College career== Key started his college career off the bench during his freshman year, averaging 5.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.<ref name="Zed Key Statistics">{{Cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/zed-key-1.html|title=Zed Key Statistics|website=CollegeBasketballReference}}</ref> He played in all 31 games and totaled 22 blocks, trailing only E. J. Liddell on Ohio State.<ref name="Bio" /> In a win over Cleveland State, he earned a double-double, scoring 12 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/sports/buckeyextra/|first=Adam|last=Jardy|title=Without E.J. Liddell, Ohio State leans on CJ Walker, Zed Key to hold off Cleveland State|website=BuckeyeXtra}}</ref>
In his sophomore season, Key became a consistent starter.<ref name="g693">{{Cite web |last=Husslein |first=Megan |date=2021-12-13 |title=Player Spotlight: Zed Key’s strong start, entertaining personality |url=https://www.landgrantholyland.com/2021/12/13/22831223/ohio-state-mens-basketball-player-spotlight-zed-key-strong-start-sophomore-campaign |access-date=2024-10-12 |website=Land-Grant Holy Land|publisher=SB Nation}}</ref> He scored a career-high 20 points as an unranked Ohio State upset Duke at home.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/32758907/ohio-state-defeats-no-1-duke-means-buckeyes-blue-devils-college-basketball|title=Ohio State defeats No. 1 Duke -- What it means for the Buckeyes, the Blue Devils and college basketball|website=ESPN.com}}</ref> Overall, he averaged 7.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game in 23 starts for the Buckeyes.<ref name="Zed Key Statistics" />
On April 15, 2024, Key transferred to Dayton.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Chen, Michael|title=Former Ohio State basketball starter Zed Key has found his new home|url=https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/2024/04/15/ohio-state-basketball-zed-key-transfers-to-dayton-flyers/|magazine=Buckeyes Wire|publisher=USA Today|date=April 15, 2024|access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref>
Zed enjoys playing blackjack at the St.Henry Picnic, in his free time.
==Career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===College=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21 | style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State | '''31''' || 1 || 11.7 || '''.616''' || .000 || .551 || 3.4 || .3 || .1 || .7 || 5.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2021–22 | style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State | 29 || '''23''' || 19.8 || .561 || .000 || .581 || 5.6 || .5 || .2 || .8 || 7.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2022–23 | style="text-align:left;"| Ohio State | 25 || '''23''' || '''24.8''' || .550 || '''.292''' || '''.659''' || '''7.5''' || '''.8''' || '''.6''' || '''1.0''' || '''10.8''' |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 88 || 47 || 18.5 || .570 || .292 || .607 || 5.5 || .5 || .3 || .8 || 7.9 {{S-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/zed-key/9337 Ohio State Buckeyes bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Key, Zed}} Category:2002 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball players from Suffolk County, New York Category:Centers (basketball) Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players Category:People from Bay Shore, New York Category:Sportspeople from Islip, New York Category:Power forwards