Alabama forward Braxton Key will undergo surgery on Tuesday after suffering a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Alabama head coach Avery Johnson announced the news following the Crimson Tide’s exhibition win over Alabama-Huntsville on Monday night.
There is currently no timetable for Key’s return.
I’ll be back soon! #bounceback #NoNoise
— braxton key (@btwice_11) November 7, 2017
“We’ll know more about his time frame, how long he’s going to be out after surgery,” Johnson said.
Key led the team in scoring and was second in rebounding last season.
Lovell’s Analysis
The hits just keep on coming for the Crimson Tide.
First it was Collin Sexton being held out of the exhibition due to not having his eligibility reinstated by the NCAA just yet, and now it’s Key seemingly being out for an extended period of time due to injury.
We’ve talked all offseason about the high expectations surrounding this program, and now with two top players currently sidelined, Alabama fans are justifiably nervous about the road ahead.
While this team has enough depth to compete at a high level, Sexton and Key are two major pieces of the puzzle.
Sexton is the one that makes everything go on offense, and Key is the most versatile player on the roster. Not having one or both of those players for a while would present quite the challenge for the Tide.
Here’s hoping that Key’s surgery is a success and he fully recovers in time to still make a big impact for Alabama this season.
But until he and Sexton return, this team could struggle to meet preseason expectations.