Zed Key suffers shoulder sprain in Purdue loss
COLUMBUS — Ohio State center Zed Key faced one of the biggest challenges of his career Thursday night: He was tasked with defending 7-foot-4, National Player of the Year candidate Zach Edey.
Less than four minutes into what turned out to be a 71-69 Buckeyes loss, though, Key found himself dealing with an even more significant issue.
Key suffered a left shoulder sprain while jostling for a defensive rebound rebound with Edey. Immediately, Key began holding his shoulder, bent over in pain. Moments later, after an Edey dunk, Key was subbed out and escorted to the locker room.
“As far as Zed, no update,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said postgame. “Shoulder injury. We’ll know more tomorrow.”
It’s the shoulder Key injured at Duke earlier this season. The injury occurred on the same kind of play, with Key battling for a rebound — back then on the offensive glass against Duke center Ryan Young but very late in the nine-point loss.
Key said postgame at Duke that he stretched back too far for the ball but noted that the injury was “nothing too serious.”
“Just icing it and getting treatment,” he said.
Buckeyes assistant coach Jack Owens added at the time: “Just one of those things that I believe happened a few weeks ago in practice that he re-aggravated. But I think he’s fine.”
Key didn’t miss a game after the Duke flare-up. But he didn’t return to action Thursday night against Purdue after leaving the floor before the first media timeout.
Freshman center Felix Okpara stepped into Key’s role and played a career-high 30 minutes. Before facing the Boilermakers, Okpara hadn’t logged more than 20 minutes in a collegiate game.
Okpara chipped in five points, five rebounds, three blocks and two assists.
Junior wing Eugene Brown III, in his third game back from concussion protocol, helped out in the paint as well.
For the most part, the Buckeyes held their own against Edey, who finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds but also had three turnovers and two missed layups.
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“Fee (Felix) did a good job of coming in, being able to give us minutes with Zed coming out,” sixth-year forward Justice Sueing said postgame. “He played hard, same as Gene. But we were able to make adjustments. And we had to play a little bit harder, especially not having our main five in.”
Holtmann said that, without Key, Ohio State had to make more rotational plays in the post, trapping Purdue even more than he intended.
Additionally, Ohio State had to play without Sean McNeil for more than eight minutes in the first half after the grad transfer twisted his ankle while landing from a 3-point attempt. In the absence of both Key and McNeil, the Buckeyes still built a 12-point lead.
“I wish I could say that we plan for all these different scenarios going into a game,” associate head coach Jake Diebler said. “The reality is, the quality of opponent in this league is so good that you go into games focused on having all of your resources available when you game plan.
“I thought [Holtmann’s] ability to adjust from a lineup standpoint being thrown those two wrinkles with Zed and Sean was really important.”
McNeil came back and would up with seven points, the last three of which vaulted the Buckeyes in front with 40 seconds to go. But Ohio State could have used Key in the final moments, particularly considering the beginning of the end for Holtmann’s squad was an Edey layup down low.
Key is averaging 12.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 24.6 minutes per game — all career highs.
He’s been a focal point for a Buckeyes offense that ranks second nationally in adjusted efficiency on that end of the floor, according to KenPom.
