KNOXVILLE-Thompson Boling Arena was the scene of an invasion here last week, as Clay County basketball fans descended upon the campus of the University of Tennessee (UT) to witness Bulldog legends Tyreke Key and Grant Strong showcase their talents on the same stage.

Though they were hard to pick out among the crowd of 18,000 in attendance and there was no way to accurately calculate just how big the Bulldog Nation representation was, it was impossible for a Clay County native to make a trip around the iconic venue without running into a familiar face.

And they were all there to see Key make his debut as a UT Volunteer and Strong as a Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle simultaneously.

“It is pretty cool to have two guys from our way on the same court,” Key said.  “That type of stuff don’t happen much from where we are from, so that was a cool experience.

“I know we had a lot of people cheering us on back home, and watching tv, and a lot of people here.  So, it was a pretty cool I think.”

The two former Bulldogs each earned their local followings by leaving their marks on Clay County sports lore as the lone pair of Class A Mr. Basketball winners hailing from Celina.

Key was the first to claim the honor in 2017, when the Bulldogs finished as the State Runner-up.

Strong then led Clay County to their first-ever State Championship in 2021 and won the award the same year as a junior, before he became the program’s only back-to-back Mr. Basketball winner in 2022.

Due to the age gap, the two all-time greats had never graced the court together, but that all changed on Monday, November 7.

“I never got to share the court with him in high school,” Strong said of Key.  “We were never in school at the same time, but to play against him and on that stage, it is something I will remember forever, and I’m sure it is something he will remember forever too.”

The night marked the freshman Strong’s first-ever collegiate game, while Key entered the contest as a sixth-year college veteran, after playing four years at Indiana State University (ISU), sitting out last season due to injury, and transferring to UT earlier this year.

“I know he’s trying to live out his dream and I’m trying to live out my dream,” Key said of Strong.  “Two kids from a small town, like I said, it was a really cool experience.  That type of stuff don’t happen much from where we are from.”

Both Clay County stars, who were matched up with each other multiple times in the game, said they were thankful for their hometown roots and offered their appreciation for the outpouring of support using very similar words.

“It means everything to me,” Strong said.  “Coming from a small town, it means a whole lot that everybody was congratulating and very proud.

“So it means a lot, and I think me and Tyreke are kind of setting examples for the younger generation, the younger kids, that no matter where you are from—small town, big town, the Upper Cumberland, anywhere—it can be done if you put your mind to it and do what it takes,” Strong continued.  “Me and Tyreke are where we want to be, so it can be done, no matter where you are from.”

Key echoed Strong’s sentiments.

“It means the world to me,” Key said.  “The people back home have always been special to me.

“I always try to make sure I post and kinda keep myself involved with the community,” Key continued.  “I just couldn’t ask for better.  They treat me the best and, obviously, I am extremely grateful for all of them.”

Sprinkled among the masses of Vol and Golden Eagle fans were a handful of special guests Key and Strong recognized for not only being in attendance, but also for their contributions towards their successes.

“It’s incredible the way they have supported me and made me into the man that I am today,” Strong said of his father Tracy and mother Tricia, who proudly donned their purple and gold in the crowd and plan to travel to follow their son no matter where he goes during the season—including a trip to Covington, WV this week.  “The amount of support from the community and from them—that’s why I am doing this, and it means a whole lot to me.”

Key also had family in attendance, including his mother Susan, who spent the last five years making the five-hour voyage to ISU and beyond to cheer on her son.

“She came to all the games last year, and I was hurt and didn’t play,” Key said of his biggest fan, who traded in her Sycamore blue for Volunteer orange and now only has a two-hour drive to home games this season with her son at UT.  “That just shows how dedicated she is, and I am a big momma’s boy too, so that kinda helps.

“I love her the most, and the drive is a whole lot easier and a whole lot less snow!”

Two others—Clay County High School head coach Rob Edwards and Tennessee Bobcat AAU coach Kevin Feltner—who may have relished the opportunity to see both Strong and Key on the same court together the most, were also lauded by both players.

“I probably wouldn’t be playing college basketball at this level without him and Coach Feltner,” Key said of Edwards.  “They got me in college basketball and into the door, and couldn’t thank them enough, obviously, and I am grateful for both of them.”

“He helped me get to where I’m at,” Strong said of the 23-year veteran high school coach he played for.  “He taught me a whole lot and put me in the right situation, so I would like to say a big thank you to him.

“It meant a whole lot to see coach Edwards and coach Feltner—he did a lot for me with recruitment, and to stay in touch with those guys is really special.”

Like their families and coaches, both Strong and Key said being raised in Celina also helped mold their careers.

“I am always going to be grateful for where I’m from, and I am going to come back and live here for the rest of my life in Celina,” Strong said when asked about one thing from home he always carries with him.  “Something that growing up in Celina taught me, is to always stay level-headed and humble, because there is always somebody out there trying to do the same thing—working just as hard as you are, so you always got to push yourself, be the best you can be, and see where life takes you.”

“I think just the dedication it took and the hard work it took,” Key answered to the same question.  “Just the journey in itself is something I will never forget and I will always cherish.

“I think the passion I have for this game, I’ve always had it, and I think that has just carried over and is always going to continue,” he said.  “You don’t really think about those type of things much, but especially coming from the small area that we are from.

“Just the journey to get to this point.  It has been one crazy ride and I am extremely blessed with the opportunity that I have.  A lot of things had to fall into place for this to happen, and I couldn’t be more grateful for it.”

In his first game at UT, Key came off the bench to lead his #11-ranked team in scoring with 17 points in the 75-43 victory over Tech, before following suit in his second outing Sunday—a 78-66 loss to Colorado, where he posted a team-high 15 points.

“I think for me, my biggest thing is just coming in, playing hard, and doing whatever I can to help the team win,” Key said of his performance.  “I come off the bench and just try to bring the best energy, and just try to play the best defense I can, because I know we have a bunch of playmakers and we are all going to help each other and find each other in our spots.

“Our offense is so explosive everybody is going to find each other in their spots.  It is just really fun to be out there.”

Key was asked by reporters if he could remember the last time he didn’t start a game and he said it was the first half of his freshman year at ISU.

“I enjoy it,” he said of his opening role at UT.  “I think me being a spark off the bench is good.  I don’t have any problem with it at all.”

Strong also played big minutes off the bench in his initial contest with Tech at UT, and followed up his debut with an 11-point outing to help the Golden Eagles beat Tennessee Wesleyan 82-48 in their home opener two nights later.

“It was awesome to play on that stage with that many people there—crazy environment, it was really fun and it helped me a whole lot to play there,” Strong said about his action at UT.  “To play against Zakai Ziegler, probably the fastest and quickest guard in the nation, I’m not going to see anybody else that is quicker or more intense on defense than what he is all season, so I think that is a positive from that game.

“First college game and that was the hand I was dealt, but it helped me more than anything.  It’s all just a learning experience right now early in the season like this.”

After seeing his first action against the Vols, Strong was ready to make the most of his next chance against Tennessee Wesleyan, and the effort helped him earn Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Week honors.

To go along with double-digit scoring, Strong added five assists, a pair of rebounds, a steal, and buried two three-pointers in Tech’s first victory of the season.

“We actually had two starters out, so that meant that I was going to get some meaningful minutes,” he said.”It was a great opportunity that I knew that I had to take advantage of, because you never know how many opportunities you are going to get.”

Key’s next game is back here at Thompson Boling Arena Wednesday versus Florida Gulf Coast, while Strong was scheduled to travel to Marshall Monday after HORIZON press time and play at home in Cookeville on Thursday against Coppin State.

The Golden Eagles host ETSU Sunday and Truett McConnell Tuesday, before the Vols travel to the Bahamas to face Butler the following Wednesday, November 23.

See a future HORIZON for updates on both Key and Strong as the season progresses.

EDITOR’S NOTE:  Special thanks goes to UT Associate Athletics Director of Communications Tom Satkowiak and his staff for allowing the HORIZON access to cover the game, including giving CCHS Media student photographer Kyndra Reagan floor access to take the superb photos associated with this article.