Clara Strack, Teonni Key have stood out to Kenny Brooks in practice

A big part of what makes this upcoming season so exciting is that it’s hard to place too many expectations on this group. After all, this is Kenny Brooks‘ first year in Lexington, and the vast majority of this roster consists of players he had to get in the transfer portal.

With the backcourt being led by Georgia Amoore and the two returners in Cassidy Rowe and Saniah Tyler, it seems like guard play won’t be much of an issue, if at all. But what about the frontcourt?

The depth at the four and especially the five isn’t as deep as you’d probably want it to be. On top of that, there are just a lot of uncertainties in play. For example, there’s Clara Strack, who only started in two games last season. Then, there’s Teonni Key, who never really found her stride after suffering injuries at North Carolina.

However, Strack and Key specifically are actually two players in particular that have impressed Brooks with their play in practice thus far.

“Obviously, Clara Strack [has stood out],” Brooks noted on What’s Next Podcast. “Backstory on Clara, she’s young. She’s supposed to be a freshman this year. She’s a class up. When she got to us at Virginia Tech, our intentions were to redshirt her because we knew she was young. She didn’t turn 18 until I think December of her freshman year. She was a baby, but she exceeded our expectations back then — she worked hard.”

He added, “[Clara is an] extremely high IQ player. She worked herself into the rotation at the end of the year. When [Elizabeth] Kitley got hurt, she stepped in. I think she averaged about 17 points a game in the postseason. She’s gotten even better since the end of the season. I’ve been extremely proud of her development. She continues to grow and get better.”

Of course, Brooks praised Teonni Key and her progression as well.

“Then, the other one I probably would have to say is Teonni Key,” Brooks explained. “Coming from North Carolina, she played sparingly, didn’t play as much, played behind a few really good players. From day one with us, she’s expanded her range.”

He continued, “She’s shooting a three-point shot now. Some of her post moves are developing. She has things that you can’t teach — length. She’s very, very long. So, I think she’s going to be able to help us as well. I’m excited about where she started to where she is right now.”