When Koby Brea logged onto the transfer site, he had never experienced the recruitment process. Every school wanted him, indeed, every school. North Carolina to Kansas. Indiana to UConn. However, it took some time for Kentucky, the institution he wished to hear from, to get in touch.
“My family asked me questions like, ‘What do you think?’ during the entire transfer procedure. Many schools are contacting you. Brea told reporters last week, “Yeah, but there’s this one school that hasn’t reached out yet.” “I was eagerly awaiting their response every day, wondering when it would happen. However, it’s clear that a lot was going on since Mark Pope was the new coach.”
After their first talk, Brea committed to Kentucky fairly quickly. Pope’s drive, his ability to pitch, and his desire to play for the Wildcats all came together.
Brea told reporters last week, “I wanted to be a part of it because I loved his energy.”
“The system itself was the main attraction for me, though; I came here to check how ideal the system was for me. I received excellent explanations from Coach Pope about my areas of strength in the offense, his system as a whole, and the defense.”
That is a system designed to play quickly and shoot a lot of threes. Brea, who shot 49.8 percent from three last year to lead the country, is most suited for both of them.
Brea had an 83 percent effective field goal percentage, made 100 threes, and was in the 100th percentile among players last season. In terms of spot-up shots, he scored 1.47 points per possession and was in the 96th percentile.
“He will be key in allowing us to play the style of basketball that we love the most,” Pope said of Brea.
Alongside players like Jaxson Robinson, Kerr Kriisa, and Otega Oweh, Pope has the ability to spread the floor and create his own opportunities both off the dribble and off the catch.
Brea concluded the previous season with excellent three-point shooting along with averages of 11.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists.
That means he will be able to fulfill a childhood goal of his when he takes the floor in a matter of months.
“I mean, it’s the University of Kentucky,” Brea said. “I can’t get enough of saying it… Since I was a small child, coming here has always been a dream of mine.”
