Austin Price: Hello everybody, and welcome into another episode of Vol Club Confidential. We have reached the month of March. I'm your host, Austin Price. Tennessee Basketball revving up for the SEC Basketball Tournament. Tennessee Baseball, underway and in the middle of a nice long home swing. We'll talk about a lot of that tonight on the show, and we'll be joined by Tennessee Basketball guard, Tyreke Key. That's a little bit later, but before we get to that we'll bring in Will Watkins of the Volunteer Club. Will, the SEC Basketball Tournament's next week. You all will have a presence there. Kind of break us down what to expect for all those Vol Club members. Will Watkins: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think at this point everybody knows where the Vols go, we go. So we don't know exactly what our presence is going to look like. But if you aren't sure yet, check your email, check our socials, because we'll be putting that out there. So look for us in Nashville, again, where the Vols go, we go. Austin Price: When you look at the sponsorships you all have and partnerships you've attained first couple of years with the Volunteer Club, some nice solid ads. But I know you all want to get more corporate partners going forward. How important is that? Will Watkins: Yeah. I mean, I think that's huge. Obviously with the fans supporting everything that we've been able to do, we've put on some great events. People have had a lot of fun, gotten to meet some athletes, so that's been great. But one thing that we want to do now as we're transitioning to the next stage of this, is get more into that corporate partnership. So really start to tell those stories and partner our athletes with brands in the community so that we can help small businesses in the Knoxville area. Austin Price: When you say small, are we talking mom and pops, are we talking mid-level businesses, or is it just a balance of everything? Will Watkins: I think it's everything. I think everybody has an opportunity to benefit in the NIL world. One of the things that we talk about all the time with different corporate sponsors is that there's a level for everybody. There's a barrier of entry that every business can benefit from. And so we want to utilize these Tennessee athletes and give them to local businesses across the state of Tennessee so they can have an impact, and they can benefit from the new Name, Image, Likeness laws. Austin Price: All right. Let's bring in the star of the show that being Tennessee native and Tennessee Guard, Tyreke Key. Sup T? Tyreke Key: How are ya? Austin Price: Good man, you? Tyreke Key: I'm good. Austin Price: Tyreke from Clay County. What's Tennessee basketball mean to you? Tyreke Key: I mean I think it means everything to me. Obviously I came from a very small town. Like I said, basketball's real big there where I'm from. So just growing up really basketball's always kind of been a passion of mine and like I said, it's real big where we're from. Austin Price: You go to Indiana State coming out of high school and this was coming off a unbelievable run at the high school level, scored a ton of points and go to the state tournament, have all those big games, state titles and stuff. Kind of take me through what you're thinking as you head off to Indiana State. Tyreke Key: I think the biggest thing for me was just kind of adjusting my play to the college level obviously because obviously it was two different levels and like I said, I think for the most part I'd done a good job there. I had a pretty good career and like I said, I just worked hard every day at it and just chipped away. Austin Price: When you decided to play your last year somewhere else and Tennessee was an option, was that a no-brainer for you? Tyreke Key: I mean, yeah, it pretty much was a no-brainer for me. Obviously being at Indiana State, I was like five hours away from home, so it was tough to... Everybody come back home, it was tough drive for my mom every game. So I think obviously it made sense and like I said, I couldn't be more happy to be here. Austin Price: So a few weeks ago you go to Vanderbilt and the coaches are imploring you to shoot more and shoot more and you have 10 points in the first half, you end up 14 for the game, come back home, you have 21 in the second half. Those were both losses, but I said at the time that Sunday night on TV to Josiah, I thought you could really take positives out of that if you're Rick Barnes because all of a sudden you started to get confidence. Was it just simply going back to the Middle Tennessee area and it was just like, oh, it's like the state tournament again and all of a sudden the ball starts going in and you're like, wait a minute? Tyreke Key: I mean that could have been it, but I think really it's just Coach Barnes, that's why he brought me here was to score and I think a couple practices before the Vanderbilt game, he pulled me to the side and it was just like, this is why we brought you here. Stop passing up open looks and just go out there and play your game. So like I said, he just pulled me to the side and told me that. And like I said, ever since then I just been kind of chipping away at it. Austin Price: So you look at where you were early in the year, and these weren't even real games, they were the scrimmages with Michigan State and Gonzaga, especially that Gonzaga when you put up 27, what happened there between when you started to get the confidence back and shooting the ball more and early in the year? Was it just like you're new to the scene, you didn't want to be selfish type stuff? Tyreke Key: I think it was just obviously I started a different role, I started playing more point guard and I was kind of just facilitating first and trying to just run the offense. Like I said, I think that kind of played a role in it and sometimes I was just really passive when I shouldn't have been. I should have took shots when I was open and like I said, Coach Barnes pulled me to the side and just told me to just go out there and play and just do me. Austin Price: We get into March and listen, there's been plenty of times where Tennessee was hot in January and February and then kind of cooled off. You have that rough stretch in February where you lose on a couple of buzzer beaters and you lose the game to Kentucky you probably shouldn't have, but none of that matters because I mean if you win in March, nobody cares what you did in January and February. So how much do you have to have that mindset as we head into the SEC tournament, as we head into the NCAA tournament? Yeah, Tyreke Key: I mean I think the first thing you just got to take it day by day and just get better each day. And like I said, it's hard. I mean obviously you're going to have those games like two buzzer beaters, that's obviously tough, but we kind of got to learn from the mistakes we did make in those games that we lost and learn from those. And obviously when we get into March, have those mistakes corrected. Austin Price: You go back to your high school year, your senior year, your high school career average 37.4 your senior year, over 1300 points. When you walked on the floor, was it just kind of like, I'm the best guy here and you mean like, is it just kinda, how you felt back then? Tyreke Key: I mean I'm kind of a humble guy so I didn't really see it that way. But I think, like I said, I just was trying to go out there and just compete and win and like I said, just make my team better and just provide winning games. Austin Price: You're playing single A basketball, small gyms, really good atmospheres. How much did you... I mean it's kind of Friday night football, as cool as college is, NFL, there's a special place for high school football. Same thing with high school basketball for you, I mean just like no matter what you do the rest of your life, those moments would be special? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean I think, like I said, obviously you go into those small places and its gyms packed, there ain't a seat to sit in those gyms obviously. I mean I'll never forget those memories obviously just because I was obviously out there with my best friends and stuff and like I said, we bring those memories up occasionally. But like I said, it was always fun just going to those little crackerbox gyms and just being so loud in there. It was always fun. Austin Price: Did you like being the road team on those instances? Tyreke Key: Yeah, we actually did. We really enjoyed playing on the road cause obviously teams was trying to take me out so I made to have two people guard me here and there and just- Austin Price: Boxing one. Tyreke Key: Boxing one. So different things like that. It was fun and we always had fun. Austin Price: What defense did you hate to see coming? Tyreke Key: Well, I mean I still scored regardless, so it really wasn't... In high school, I mean there really wasn't no defense. I mean I was still finding ways. We had a bunch of plays set up to where I was still kind of getting the ball. Austin Price: That's confidence right there man. Didn't matter what they threw at me, I was scoring. You talk about your best friends, your high school classmates and teammates. How many of them have reached out to you throughout this season? Whether it be for encouragement or just to see how you're doing or to say, "Hey, we're coming to watch you play." How much do you hear that? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean I still talk to one of my best friends every day and we play Xbox occasionally and I actually went and seen him a couple weeks ago but it is nice just having that support system and still having them around to talk to here and there. And like I said, one of my best friends, he actually comes to mostly all the home games so it's good to have that support. Austin Price: Was it easier to transition here because there was so many veterans on this team, Santi, Uros, Josiah, I mean, you know what I mean? It wasn't like you were coming in here with a bunch of young pups, I mean there were older guys here. Did that make the transition easier because there were guys your age? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I actually think so. Just like I said, as we got a very mature team and the culture here at Tennessee is so strong and so connected. Like I said, I thought the transition was really easy from that standpoint. Just like I said, just a bunch of mature guys and everyone's for each other. So I think that's really what drew me in here. Austin Price: You went to that second half of that Missouri game, you hit five threes, 21 points. Was that the hottest you've been since when? Tyreke Key: I mean probably since the Gonzaga game. I mean like I said, I knew coming out in half that game obviously we needed a spark because we was down in half against Missouri. So I knew we needed a spark some way and like I said, I just got some shots to go in. Austin Price: How many shots do you think you put up in a given off season, whether it be at Indiana State, here? You know what I mean? Jalin Hyatt was talking about how he caught 15,000 balls on the jug machines. How many shots you putting up in a given off season? Tyreke Key: I mean it's tough. Sometimes you do with a thousand a day. I mean if you do that six, seven times a week, I mean that's the number right there. You do that a whole off season, I mean the number adds up so I don't really keep track. Austin Price: If you're in a funk and the ball's not going in, do you just keep shooting to shoot your way out or do you pause, let's take a break, clear my mind then come back to it? I mean I know you could do either one, but is there a preference for Tyreke Key? Tyreke Key: I think my preference is just kind of keep the volume going and just not really thinking and stop thinking about it and just keep shooting it. That's kind of my preference when I'm working out. So I'll tell to my rebounder, just keep passing it faster so that way I'll get the shots up so I don't have to think about it as much. Austin Price: Do you go back and watch film to see as far as elbow, technical stuff? Tyreke Key: I used to did when I had my shoulder injury. I would do that type of stuff, but I kind of got away from that and just kind of stopped thinking just go out there and just shoot and just have fun. Austin Price: I always joke that you look like John Starks and you look like you should have played in the eighties and nineties. When you watched players growing up, and I know you're not that old, but at the same time was there one or two players that you watched growing up where you're like, I really want to model my game after that person? Tyreke Key: I think mean some of my favorite players, Carmelo Anthony just because he got the good mid-range game, I always liked that. I really liked watching John Wall growing up when he was at Kentucky. Just kind of a bigger built guard and just fast. But for mostly part I don't really model my game after no specific play or anything. I just do what I know my body can do. And just like I said, I'm not the most athletic guy out there, but I'm kind of a bigger guard so I kind of use my physicality in different ways. Austin Price: When you're with your teammates or your friends and you're talking about the NBA, what do you guys talk about? I don't even mean trying to get there. I'm just talking about today's NBA, favorite teams, favorite players. Not arguments but disagreements about who the best player is, that type of stuff. Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean obviously the biggest one is obviously the Michael Jordan, LeBron, those arguments always kind of get sparked up and- Austin Price: Go ahead tell me. Who you going with? Tyreke Key: I mean I think, like I said, it's two different eras but I think LeBron now just because he's got the all time scoring record and just how long he's been able to produce and obviously he's still getting better at this age and still putting up the numbers he is. I mean it's one of a kind. So Austin Price: Yeah, we have this conversation a few times on Vol Club confidential 'cause I think all athletes, no matter if you're a football player, baseball player, basketball player, we'll get into that just cause Jordan's such a cultural icon with the shoe brand and all that. I think it's okay to say best overall player could be LeBron. Best champion, most fierce competitor player is Jordan. Tyreke Key: Yeah, for sure. Austin Price: More cutthroat than LeBron is. Tyreke Key: Yes. Austin Price: So I mean I'm with you on that. Closest player on this team, you've only been here for eight, nine months, but if you could take one guy and say I can lean on that guy. Who's Mr. Dependable for you? Tyreke Key: As just in aspects of anything? Austin Price: Anything? Tyreke Key: I would say Zakai Zeigler just because like I said, he is just, yeah, he's a good dude and tough as nails. I'd say him for sure, probably. Austin Price: Do you give him a hard time about his New York accent and he gives you a hard time about your Clay County accent? Tyreke Key: Oh we've actually never really talked about either one of our accents. Austin Price: Really? Tyreke Key: Yeah, believe it or not, we've never really brought our accents up to each other. So he does have a deep accent though. Nobody expects it either. Austin Price: Most competitive guy on the team is Z? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I'd say Z, Z or Santi probably. Austin Price: If you could only pick one to go on the foxhole with, who you going in with? Tyreke Key: That's a tough one. That's a tough one. Probably Z probably. Yeah, probably for sure Z. Austin Price: Santi just said bad words in Spanish. When you look at Coach Barnes and his track record of getting players developed, whether it's changing Kevin Punter's shot or changing Josiah's shot or getting someone who is struggling confidence wise and getting them to play more confidently, what do you admire the most and how much has he helped you? Tyreke Key: I think just like I said, just how he controls the team and how he talks to the guys. I think, like I said, that one day he pulled me to the side and just told me to just be me, go out there and just do what I do and he just wanted me to score. Austin Price: Did you feel differently as soon as he said that? Tyreke Key: I did actually. I mean I think it brought a level of, I mean I've always had confidence obviously, but it kind of lifts you- Austin Price: It's different. Tyreke Key: Yeah, it just kind of different. Austin Price: Take the shackles off. Tyreke Key: Yeah, it was kind of something like that, just kind of knowing that he said that like he needs me, wants me to do me and just go out there and just do what I do best and I think that that really helped me. Austin Price: Coach Barnes is one that does not, he does not mince words, he tells you how he feels. Do you like that, that you kind of always know where you stand? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean I think that's honestly the best way to do it. Just to be straight up and straightforward, straight to the point. Obviously he's going to tell you how it is and he's going to let you know and be honest with you, I think that's the best coaching you can have when you have somebody who's just going to tell you how it is and tell you what you need to get better at. Austin Price: You were talking about Camaro Anthony a few minutes ago and you're talking about his mid-range game. It feels like you're really comfortable in that 16, 17 foot range. Most kids don't like that. I mean most kids are either want to dunk it or shoot the three. Where's that come from? Tyreke Key: I mean I think it just comes from back at when I was at Indiana State, one of our player development coaches, he was really big into the mid-range game. Obviously now the mid-range game ain't really a thing anymore. I mean- Austin Price: No it's not. Tyreke Key: I mean one or two players- Austin Price: Steph Curry. Tyreke Key: One or two players has those roles where they can shoot mid-range, but now it's just a lot of threes and layups. So I think it's kind of a different style obviously. And I think I'm kind of a bigger guard so I can kind of utilize that. Austin Price: You alk about Indiana State, obviously Larry Bird, name is synonymous with that place. Much interaction with him? Tyreke Key: I shook his hand one time, he's a quiet guy, kind of like myself, so he didn't say anything back but I did shake his hand when we played. They had their 40th anniversary team there so we got to meet all those guys and shake their hands and stuff. Austin Price: How neat is that just from a... Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean it kind of gave me goosebumps. Obviously he's an NBA legend and just for what he's done his whole career. And he's kind of a obviously icon in Terre Haute so it was cool. Austin Price: Do you go back and watch, did you watch 30 for 30 Celtics Lakers? Do you know what I mean? Did you watch the documentary on the Bowls? Tyreke Key: I've seen a couple of the Larry and Magic documentaries. So obviously when we played Michigan State here, I seen a tweet or something that I was the only Indiana State person who could beat Michigan State or something. It was something funny like that. But no, all those are good, all those are cool stories of him and Magic and obviously him being from Indiana State was pretty cool too. Austin Price: Your playing careers winding down, you relishing these practices, the team meals, the hanging out in the hotel, everything kind of just like, is it starting to hit you more and more? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean think every day is just going by really in a blink of an eye and you know, go to do your weights every day, your vitamins and you practice and then day's over and the next day's already there. So like I said, I just kind of been just soaking it in and obviously the finish line's coming up, but like I said, just taking it day by day. Austin Price: How much have you enjoyed having your family? I mean I know they were at the Indiana State games too, but I mean here, the Clay County people, I'd say that's fairly big Tennessee country down there with a lot of orange, a little more proud walking into town? Not that you weren't proud of Indiana State, because I know you were, but is there a different feel going back home right now? Tyreke Key: Like I said, obviously being only two hours away so really anybody can come when they want to. And I said it made the drive for my mom so much easier because I mean in Terre Haute you got the blizzards in the winter and different things like that. So it may take her nine hours to get home when it was snowing up there. So I think just stuff like that and obviously getting to see my friends here and there, cause obviously being close to home, just it's obviously a better feeling and just kind of more comfortable. Austin Price: Senior day coming up, be emotional? Tyreke Key: I'll probably- Austin Price: You don't seem like an emotional guy but at the same time I feel like you're... It's starting to hit you more and more? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I mean I think I'll be a little emotional. I don't think I'll cry or anything, but it'll really soak in once I walk out there and know that that's going to be my last time obviously playing at home in college. Austin Price: All, let's hit rapid fire for a second. Something most people don't know about Tyreke Key. Tyreke Key: I'm an outdoorsman so I like to go hiking and walking and riding bikes and stuff. Austin Price: Where's your favorite hiking spot? Tyreke Key: There's a place in... It's a little ways from here, I forgot what it's called. It's called the Eagles Nest. It's a big thing, you hike up a mountain and you just look, oh, it's overlooking the mountain. It's beautiful. Beautiful. Austin Price: If you could go to a national park, which one would it be Mr. Outdoorsman? Tyreke Key: Yellowstone. Austin Price: I went last summer. Have you been before? Tyreke Key: Never have. Austin Price: Oh. Oh, I'm telling you it's pretty spectacular. Share a funny story about your Bassett hound. Tyreke Key: Let's see, there's a lot. I would say I was coming home from practice. He got out of his kennel, I didn't know where he was and I go into my bathroom and he's got a box on his head where he was digging in the trash and he is just standing there in the bathroom just with a box on his head and I just walk in, he just kind of looks up and he's got obviously a box on his head. He don't know where he is, so obviously I slide the box off his head and he's just sitting there trying to play innocent. Austin Price: Favorite NBA player? Tyreke Key: I'd say right now probably CJ McCollum. Austin Price: Why? Tyreke Key: Just the way he kind of handles himself and he's kind of got the little mid-range game and I just kind of like the way he plays. Austin Price: So what's the best advice you've been given? Tyreke Key: I'd say probably you are what you do. That's kind of the reverse of you are what you've whatever and you know what I'm talking about. But that phrase, I mean I think it's just you're set out to do what you're best at, whether it's playing basketball or doing this or that. I think obviously you're born with a gift and you just go out and do it every day and just have fun. Austin Price: Admittedly you're a humble guy, but are you the key, that's pun intended, to Tennessee basketball success the next two or three weeks? Tyreke Key: I mean, I said, I mean humbly I think if I play my role of what coach wants, if everyone plays their roles as coach wants, I think we'll have a special ending to the year. Austin Price: But to dive back to that, you feel like your role changed though when he talked to you? Like you felt like your role was different before then? Tyreke Key: Yeah, I would say so. I think I was kind of just overthinking a little bit just 'cause I was playing a different position and just different things like that. But like I said, when he pulled me to the side, he just told me, just go out there and do me. I kind of felt a different way about it and like I said, I think it had helped me. Austin Price: NCAA tournaments where legends can be made, you're shooting on... In some instances, it's an arena, but a lot of instances, especially once you get past the first weekend, you're in stadiums. Do you like that? 'Cause I mean the sight lines change, the depth changes all that. I mean I know it's the same... Tyreke Key: Height, same, all that stuff. I think, like I said, I think that kind of goes back to maybe the overthinking part of it when it comes to March Madness and those type of things. I think you just got to go out there and just play your best and compete and just have fun. And like I said, I think we're going to have a special ending to the year. Austin Price: He has a lot of faith. He's playing with a lot of confidence and in my opinion, if he's not the key, he's one of the keys for Tennessee having success the next few weeks. He is Tyreke Key. We appreciate you joining us on Vol Club Confidential. Tyreke Key: Appreciate you having me.