Tag: Braxton Key

Alabama in NBA: How former Tide players have performed up to this point in the season

The Alabama men’s basketball team is well-represented in the NBA. Roll Tide Wire takes a closer look at how some of the alumni are perfoming at the professional level.

Over the years, the Alabama men’s basketball program has placed players in the NBA. Despite Alabama being known predominantly for its football prowess, the Crimson Tide has stepped up in a big way in the last six years.

Since 2018, Alabama has had seven players drafted by NBA front offices. Not to mention, five of the seven that were chosen were first-round picks.

Basketball has become more meaningful in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It has turned into a hotbed for some of the top prospects in college basketball.

Roll Tide Wire breaks down how former Tide players have performed in the NBA up to this point in the season.

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key signs two-way contract with Denver Nuggets

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key agreed to terms on a two-way contract with the Denver Nuggets .

Former Alabama forward Braxton Key agreed to terms with the Denver Nuggets on a two-way contract. Key has spent the last week playing for the Dallas Mavericks summer league team.

Key, a North Carolina native, signed with Alabama coming out of high school. He was regarded as a four-star prospect by 247Sports and chose the Crimson Tide over Texas.

During his two years at Alabama, Key averaged 9.8 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game, and 2.2 assists per game. He averaged a career-high 12 points per game as a true freshman.

Following his sophomore season in Tuscaloosa, Key transferred to Virginia. Key’s uncle, Ralph Sampson, played for the Cavaliers from 1979-1983.

Key spent the final two seasons of his college career in Charlottesville. He was a member of Virginia’s 2019 National Championship team.

Since beginning his professional career, Key has played for the Delaware Blue Coats, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, and Motor City Cruise.

Now, Key will be joining the Nuggets organization with an opportunity to earn a spot on the team’s active roster.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow the Alabama basketball program and its former players in the NBA.

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Report: Sixers signing Braxton Key to a 10-day hardship exception

The Philadelphia 76ers will sign Braxton Key to a 10-day hardship exception.

The Philadelphia 76ers are once again dealing with a lot of COVID-19 issues as they are missing a few pieces on their roster. With the news of Matisse Thybulle and Tyrese Maxey joining Myles Powell in the health and safety protocols, the Sixers had to make a couple of corresponding moves.

The Sixers will sign Braxton Key to a 10-day hardship exception from the G League in order to add another player to their roster. The Sixers want to ensure they have enough depth as they move forward with this wild roller coaster of a season.

Key has played 15 games for Philadelphia’s G League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats, and he has averaged 13.1 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting 46.4% from the floor. If he can clear the health and safety protocols, he will be available when the Sixers take on the Orlando Magic on the road on Wednesday.

The Sixers have been able to win four in a row despite being hit hard by COVID-19 again as Joel Embiid and others have stepped their game up. This will be an opportunity for Key to try and prove himself on a veteran-laden team.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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2020 ACC Tournament Continuation: Notre Dame upsets Virginia at buzzer

The Irish take down the defending national champs in epic fashion!

Notre Dame might have gotten the 2020 ACC Tournament victory it needed to earn an at-large spot in March Madness, and in an epic way. Facing an uphill battle in the quarterfinals against No. 2 seed and defending national champion Virginia, the Irish needed everything they had to pull off the upset. It was enough to celebrate an 80-79 win in overtime.

Notre Dame set the tone for this game early, beginning it on a 12-2 run. Virginia rallied to tie the game at 17, but the Irish caught fire again, going on a 21-4 run to take a 17-point lead with two-and-a-half minutes left in the first half. That paved the way for a 10-point advantage. However, that was only the beginning.

The Irish continue to hold the lead during the second half, answering every Cavaliers run. They were up, 68-62, with 22 seconds left in regulation, but John Mooney missed the front end of a one-and-one, allowing Casey Morsell to cut it to 68-65 on a 3 with six seconds left. Dane Goodwin was fouled with three seconds remaining, but he also missed the first shot of a one-and-one. That allowed Mamadi Diakite to grab the rebound and launch a prayer from three-quarter court at the buzzer — and hit it, tying the score to force overtime and send the Greensboro Coliseum into a frenzy.

The teams traded leads in overtime and even were deadlocked a few times before Braxton Key made a 3 to give the Cavaliers a 79-76 lead with 39 seconds left. Mooney cut the deficit to 79-78 with a free-throw line jumper, then rebounded a missed one-and-one before clanking the go-ahead jumper and being forced to foul Kihei Clark with 10 seconds to go. Clark also missed the front end of a one-and-one, and Juwan Durham got the rebound. Durham had just enough time to go the length of the court, put up a finger roll and watch the ball go through the hoop as time expired, making his teammates and the Irish contingent of fans in attendance go absolutely bonkers.

Mooney was the big player for the Irish, leading them with 28 points, 14 rebounds and three steals. Prentiss Hubb scored 15 points, including three 3-pointers, and dished out seven assists. Durham flirted with a double-double with a line of 10 points and eight rebounds. Rex Pflueger established his own presence with 10 boards.

Diakite achieved a double-double of 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Cavaliers before fouling out in overtime. Jay Huff nearly joined the double-double club with 16 points and nine rebounds. Clark did the same in finishing with 11 points and a game-high nine assists, as did Key with nine points and 11 boards. Tomas Woldetensae scored 12 points, all of which came on 3-pointers.

Notable undrafted free agents eligible for 2021 G League Draft

Among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.

The upcoming 2021 NBA G League season may give several players not selected in the recent NBA draft another opportunity in the pros.

The NBA G League is hosting a bubble tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sport Complex in Florida. Once teams are assembled, they will arrive to the location by January 26 for physicals and onboarding. The first game is set for February 8 and teams are expected to play a “12-to-15 game schedule” before their single-elimination playoffs from March 5-March 9.

While teams may have the majority of their roster spots ready to go, they’ll supplement final spaces with the G League Draft. The event is scheduled for Monday, January 11, at 1:15 PM EST.

Some of the players with the most professional experience: Emeka Okafor, Mario Chalmers, Michael Beasley, Lance Stephenson, Hollis Thompson, Terrence Jones, Quincy Pondexter, Shabazz Muhammad, Tyler Ulis, Festus Ezeli, Allonzo Trier, Antonio Blakeney.

Also among the eligible players for the upcoming 2021 NBA G League Draft are several of the notable undrafted players from the 2020 NBA draft.

Some of the top prospects who did not hear their name called on draft night were signed on two-way deals, which allow the player to be active for 50 of the 72 games for their franchise. Many others were invited to training camps to compete for roster spots via Exhibit-10 contracts.

Typically, players with that type of deal end up playing for the G League affiliate of the squad that signed them. This year, however, eleven of the teams around the league are not sending their affiliate to the bubble:

Atlanta Hawks (College Park Skyhawks)

Boston Celtics (Maine Red Claws)

Chicago Bulls (Windy City Bulls)

Dallas Mavericks (Texas Legends)

Detroit Pistons (Grand Rapids Drive)

Los Angeles Lakers (South Bay Lakers)

Miami Heat (Sioux Falls Skyforce)

Milwaukee  Bucks(Wisconsin Herd)

Phoenix Suns (Northern Arizona Suns)

Sacramento Kings (Stockton Kings)

Washington Wizards (Capital City Go-Go; will utilize Erie)

That means, in addition to those who did not participate in an NBA training camp over the summer, any of the players who signed Exhibit-10 deals with these franchises are also sent into the draft pool for Monday.

While this draft will have three rounds, there will be a max of 26 players selected, though teams are not required to make a selection. All things considered, this is set to be an incredibly deep draft class on Monday.

Among the nearly 200 players who have NBA G League Standard Player Contracts but are not yet on a roster, here are some of the notable undrafted free agents who may have a chance to continue their professional journey: