Perhaps more hindsight was needed in determining how senior guard Tyreke Key would fit in with this season’s Tennessee Volunteers.
After all, the graduate transfer from Indiana State quickly established a really high bar.
The 6-foot-2, 211-pounder racked up 26 points on 8-of-12 shooting that included four 3-pointers during Tennessee’s 99-80 surprise walloping of Gonzaga at an exhibition in the Dallas suburb of Frisco on Oct. 28. Key poured in 17 and 15 points when the season opened with a win over Tennessee Tech and a loss to Colorado, but his six appearances in Southeastern Conference contests have yielded a much more modest 6.2-point average.
“I think I can impact a game in other ways besides scoring,” Key told reporters Monday afternoon as the Vols prepared for Wednesday night’s game against visiting Georgia. “My rebounding can impact a game. Whatever the role, I’m here to do it, and I’m going to do it to the best of my abilities.”
Key returned to his home state — he prepped at Clay County High in Celina — after amassing 1,650 career points at Indiana State, which ranked sixth in Sycamores history. His bursting out of the gate this past autumn certainly could be viewed as unexpected, given that he missed the entire 2021-22 season at ISU after undergoing shoulder surgery in November 2021.