Hoops transfer Tyreke Key readies for Rocky Top challenge

Indiana State transfer Tyreke Key officially signed with the Volunteers last week, adding to the backcourt depth Rick Barnes has returning for next season.

A native of Celina, Tenn., the guard elected to come ‘home’ rather than joining the likes of Texas Tech, Oklahoma or North Carolina.

“Tennessee has always had a rich tradition of basketball, Key said. “Rick Barnes is a future Hall of Fame coach and it’ll be great to be able to learn under him. The culture they have there is established. It’s one of the best, if not the best in college basketball. I just wanted to be a part of that.”

The 6-foot-3, 205 sharp-shooter is a three-point specialist, averaging 44.5 percent from behind the arch as a sophomore in 2018-19. He shot 39 percent form long-range in the season that followed, before a shoulder injury derailed his production as a senior, dropping his three-point average down to just 32 percent in 2020-21.

Still, Key averaged 17, 15 and 17 points per game his final three years at Indiana State and is a 80 percent free throw shooter throughout his career.

Having missed last season due to shoulder surgery, Key is itching to get back on the court now with the Tennessee program.

“I feel really good. The last two years I did play, I pretty much played with a shot shoulder,” Key told Volquest. “We pretty much did everything to try and maintain it. Unfortunately, it was about a week or two before the season this year I had that other episode happen. We knew, for my future, it was best to do the surgery and get it fixed.”

Knowing defense comes with playing in a Rick Barnes program, the Volunteer State native is excited to learn more about that part of the game. In doing so, the hope is to enhance his game in the process and become a better overall player.

“That’s what drew me to Tennessee, the challenge in itself,” Key said of the defensive aspect. “I wasn’t heavily recruited out of high school and I kind of had to prove myself. Obviously, this is a much different level. That’s what I embraced – the challenge I embraced going in because it’s going to be a completely different ballgame.

“I’m all about challenges and this will be the biggest one I’ve ever faced. I’m ready to embrace it, get to work and get better.”

Key goes into more detail on why he chose Tennessee, his game and what he learned from missing all of last season. Watch the complete interview above. You can also find it on Monday’s episode of Locked on Vols.