Ohio State's Zed Key OUT for Season, Will Undergo Surgery

Ohio State Buckeyes forward Zed Key will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, head coach Chris Holtmann said Wednesday.

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be without the services of forward Zed Key for the remainder of the season, head coach Chris Holtmann announced Wednesday.

Key will undergo surgery to repair a shoulder injury "here soon." Key initially aggravated his shoulder against then-No. 17 Duke Nov. 30, but Holtmann said against then-No. 1 Purdue Jan. 5 is where it "went out" — an injury that was initially ruled a shoulder sprain, according to an Ohio State spokesperson.

Head coach Chris Holtmann said the doctors “were testing strength” in Zed Key’s shoulder and “as it started to weaken” Key was “more susceptible to further injury.”

Holtmann said he “fully supported” the doctors’ decision to shut Key down for the season.

— Casey Smith (@casey_smith2419) February 22, 2023

Key missed the Buckeyes' most recent game against then-No. 3 Purdue Sunday, playing in 25 of Ohio State's 27 games this season. His only other missed game this season was against Maryland Jan. 8 — the first game after the initial injury happened.

Key was evaluated Monday after the Buckeyes returned from West Lafayette, Indiana, which is when the decision was made not to clear Key by team doctors because of the "continued issues with his shoulder."

Holtmann said surgery was always the route they intended to go and that he fully supported the doctors' decision to shut Key down for the season.

"I think the biggest thing they were testing was the strength," Holtmann said. "As that continued to weaken and not get better, I think they felt like he was just going to be more susceptible to further injury and they just didn't feel comfortable clearing him."

Holtmann believes the surgery earlier surgery date, which has yet to be announced, will provide Key and his family "relief" because he will be able to start his recovery sooner, as opposed to if he had to wait until Ohio State's season was officially over.

The Bay Shore, N.Y. native was the Buckeyes' third-best scorer at 10.8 points per game and the seventh-best rebounder in the Big Ten at 7.5 boards per game.

Now, center Felix Okpara — who made his third start of the season in Key's absence Sunday — will be the big man the Buckeyes look to man the post.

The freshman's offense has yet to come around, averaging just 3.4 points per game in 13.2 minutes per game, but he has been quite the rim protector, swatting away a team-high 30 shots this season.

Holtmann said Okpara needs to stay out of foul trouble and limit the "careless fouls" he commits.

He said he has "tremendous size" and "really good athleticism," but that Okpara needs to build muscle in the offseason. Right now, Holtmann just wants to see him work on the "little things."

"He's got to catch the ball with two hands, he's got to be able to play in traffic a little bit better," Holtmann said. "He's got to learn what he can do on the floor to stay on the floor and stay out of foul trouble."

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