UVA basketball coach Tony Bennett announced Friday (May 18) the additions of center Francisco Caffaro (El Trebo, Sante Fe, Argentina) and forward Braxton Key (Charlotte, N.C.) for the 2018-19 season.
Caffaro signed a National Letter of Intent, while Key signed a financial aid agreement and is transferring to Virginia after playing two seasons at the University of Alabama from 2016-18.
“We are excited to welcome Francisco and Braxton into the Virginia men’s basketball family,” Bennett said. “These young men bring size, talent and competitiveness to our program.”
The 7-0, 233-pound Caffaro was one of the first graduates of the National Basketball Association’s Global Academy to sign with an NCAA school. Caffaro spent two years in the program at the NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. He represented Argentina on four separate occasions in FIBA tournaments at the national team level, starting at the age of 15.
The 6-8, 225-pound Key averaged 7.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 26 games for Alabama in 2017-18. He missed the first 10 games of the season with a knee injury and scored in double figures in eight contests as the Crimson Tide reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
In 2016-17, Key was named to the All-SEC Freshman team after averaging 12 points and 5.7 rebounds in 34 games. He averaged 14 points in SEC play, including a career-high 26 at Georgia.
Key is a 2016 graduate of Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.). He was named the Most Outstanding Player of the DICK’s Nationals Tournament, leading Oak Hill to the national championship and 45-1 overall record. Key attended Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville, Tenn.) from 2012-15.
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Chris Graham
