Koby Brea Scouting Deepdive
In only three games as a Kentucky Wildcat, Dayton transfer Koby Brea has cemented himself as the best three-point shooter in the nation. Here’s how he's doing it.
The 2024 college basketball offseason was arguably the most exciting offseason the sport has ever seen in its long and storied history. We saw more changes in both player and coaching personnel across the college basketball ecosystem in just a few months than we normally see over the course of several years. Multiple teams were left with a completely barren roster, with new coaches being forced to rebuild their programs from scratch via the transfer portal. One of these programs was the University of Kentucky, who, after the departure of head coach John Calipari and his entire 2023-24 roster, was left in limbo under the tutelage of newly hired head coach Mark Pope.
Pope and his staff hit the ground running once they landed in Lexington, attacking the transfer portal with intention. Last season with BYU, Pope showcased a complicated offensive playstyle built around ball movement, off-ball movement, and three-point shooting, and it was clear that he was looking to build his new roster for that style of play. Several marquee additions to the Wildcats’ roster were made soon after Pope took control of the program, but it could be argued that no player better suited his playstyle preferences more than Dayton sharpshooting guard Koby Brea.
Before committing to Kentucky and Pope, Koby Brea had spent four seasons playing for the Dayton Flyers. He was more or less a non-factor for Dayton until last season when he took the college basketball world by storm by shooting nearly 50% from beyond the arc on over six attempts per game. Despite coming off the bench for all but four of the Flyers’ games, he had cemented himself as the best statistical outside shooter in the country. This shooting prowess made him the perfect candidate for a Mark Pope offense, which is exactly why he chose Kentucky relatively soon after entering his name into the transfer portal. Looking forward to this season, it doesn’t seem farfetched to say that, after only three games, Brea made the correct decision.
Role and Responsibilities:
Despite being Kentucky’s second biggest commitment out of the portal (Jaxson Robinson being the first) it was clear relatively early on that Brea would likely be coming off of the bench for this Wildcats team. This wasn’t because he didn’t deserve a spot in the starting lineup, but more so because he’s used to this role. Throughout his four years at Dayton, he only started in 21 games. This total includes ten games during his junior season, a number that would drop to four starts for his senior year when he was arguably the second-best player on a very good Dayton team. All indicators pointed towards Brea preferring a bench role, which is exactly the role he has had through Kentucky’s first three games of the season.
Brea has been a utility player off the bench for Pope so far this season. His role is obvious, he’s the sparkplug sharpshooter who checks into the game after about four minutes, knocks down a couple of threes, and sets the tone from beyond the arc for a team who relies heavily on outside shooting. Despite not being a starter, it could be argued that he has played one of the most important roles for this team through their first three games. At the moment, his 15.3 points per game leads the team, but he’s been far more than just a scorer thus far. I would argue that his most important job on this team is to set the standard on offense, which is incredibly important.
Brea’s Hot Start:
While I do think Brea’s most important job surrounds on-court culture setting, it’s impossible to argue against his hot statistical start through his first three games as a Kentucky Wildcat. Brea is averaging 15.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2 assists, .3 steals, and .3 blocks per game on phenomenal shooting splits of 70.8% from the field and 75% from beyond the arc. He also hasn’t turned the ball over one time up to this point. It’s not like his volume isn’t solid either, he’s 17/24 from the field and 12/16 from the three-point line. He’s projected to see career highs in points, assists, rebounds, field-goal percentage, and three-point percentage all while playing only 22.3 minutes per game, the lowest number of minutes he has seen since his sophomore season. So, how’s he doing it?
The answer to that question isn’t a complicated one, and it doesn’t require an intense brainstorming session to come up with. Koby Brea is an otherworldly three-point shooting specialist. After last season many people wondered if what Brea was doing at Dayton was real and not just an outlier (as if anyone capable of that kind of outlier wouldn’t at the very least be a well above average deep threat). Well, at this point I think we can all put those doubts to rest. He’s the best outside shooter in all of college basketball.
What makes Brea special is that he’s more than just a standstill catch-and-shoot threat. That’s not to say he’s not excellent at knocking down those shots, he is, but his outside shooting game is far more developed than just those simple attempts. He’s a fantastic off-ball mover who very obviously works on his stamina and endurance considering he’s almost always moving to a new spot on the court. Not only that, but he’s able to receive passes on the move and immediately get into his shot motion no matter how he’s positioned on the floor. So yes, while these are also catch-and-shoot attempts, they are both more difficult and more likely to occur within the flow of an offense than standstill catch-and-shoot looks. That’s why Brea’s ability to make these shots is so incredibly valuable.
It’s when Brea begins to put the ball on the floor when things start to really get interesting. His ability to use pump fakes, body feints, and jab steps before taking one dribble and putting up the shot is incredibly impressive. When I watch him take shots like these, I see a ton of Klay Thompson in his game, which at face value may sound crazy but I really don’t think it is. This is a player who knows where his talents are able to take him, and he never tries to do too much outside of those talents. That’s why his shooting percentages from both the field and the perimeter are so incredible. Sure, Klay Thompson may be the best example of this type of player, but the comparison is a relatively obvious one in my opinion.
As you watch more and more of Koby Brea you begin to understand just how developed his outside shooting game is. Above are two examples of him working around screens to find a look that he’s comfortable taking, one significantly more open than the other. But that’s the thing, his shooting prowess has very little to do with being open, instead having more to do with rhythm. Notice that singular dribble he takes once he is handed the ball, that’s where the rhythm lies. Go back and watch the clips where he uses pump fakes and body feints, he puts the ball down one time before taking the shot. It’s all about rhythm for him, and all it takes is one dribble for him to artificially create it.
In situations like the two above, where Brea is forced to put the ball on the floor multiple times in order to create an easier shot for himself, his search for rhythm isn’t altered in theory, only in practice. Even in the second clip where Kon Knueppel does a good job of sticking with and contesting Brea, I really don’t think it matters once he has established his rhythm. A defender would have to get a hand on the ball to keep that shot from going in. When a shooter is this inevitable from beyond the arc it really is a scary sight to see and nearly impossible to gameplan for. So, if an opponent doesn’t crack the code and find a way to completely take Brea out of rhythm on every individual possession, I don’t see him slowing down anytime soon.
Growth & Development:
When you’re on the level that Brea is on as an outside shooter, you naturally open up other aspects of your game in the process. He makes threes as if they were layups, so opponents are likely happier with him getting an open look at the basket than an open look from beyond the arc. Because of this, through three games he has been solid at the rim, an element of his scoring arsenal that hasn’t been much of a factor for him in past seasons. It also helps that he’s playing with several very talented and very experienced playmakers who can find him for easy looks at the rim whenever a defender is too focused on eliminating the outside shot.
I’m not going to sit here and argue that Brea is an exemplary off-ball slasher, but I can say with confidence that he’s a very opportunistic cutter who plays with a clearly high level of intelligence and intention. He’s always going to choose to take a three over cutting to the basket, but hey, if the defense is going to allow for an open layup he’s going to take advantage of that allowance. So, while these shots are very easy and you would expect most college basketball players to be able to make these plays, they just haven’t been incredibly prevalent in Brea’s shot diet throughout his career.
He has been putting the ball on the floor and driving to the hoop more often as well this season, something that I believe Mark Pope has told him to do. So far, Kentucky has been significantly more potent offensively when they mix rim pressure in with their outside shooting volume. We saw this strategy work out for the Wildcats in their big win against Duke, when they began pressuring the rim at a higher rate in the second half of their contest with the Blue Devils. This strategy works for Brea as an individual as well, as his ability to occasionally apply rim pressure opens up the perimeter just enough for him to find a few extra easy looks from deep every game.
Brea has also been a very solid passer to start his season at Kentucky. Much like his scoring near the hoop, Brea’s playmaking has improved since he arrived in Lexington. It does appear as if he has some natural passing talents, and I wonder if this could be something that Pope taps into as the season progresses.
Brea has had two assists in all three games that he has played so far this season, proving to be consistent in this department. His season-long career high in assists per game before this year was 1.7 during his junior season when he averaged 26.5 minutes per game. So, while this is a small sample size, it’s undeniable that he’s been a more active passer through these games than he has been in past seasons. The two clips above show good examples of him throwing assists as a pick-and-roll ball handler, a position that he finds himself in several times per game.
He has also been solid making plays with his passing in transition and in the half-court. He’s not a volume assist player in these situations as in most cases he doesn’t have the ball in his hands, but when he does, he’s very capable of throwing advantage creating passes. Like his pick-and-roll ball handling, these are situations he finds himself in a couple of times every game, resulting in a few extra assist opportunities for Brea than he would otherwise see.
Takeaways:
My main takeaway when discussing and watching Koby Brea is that he’s a pro-ready three-point shooter during a time where that is the most important skill in professional basketball. For that reason alone, I think he will succeed to some extent at the NBA level. If I had to give him a direct player comparison, I would probably say a bigger and stronger version of Landry Shamet. Which, while that doesn’t sound like the most enticing comparison in the world, is a very real NBA-level archetype.
My biggest question regarding his game is his ability to defend at the professional level. He has the size and intelligence necessary to be a decent defender, but he does have trouble defending more talented players from time to time. At the next level every player he will be matched up against will be talented and athletic, so he has to learn and learn quickly how to be an effective defender. I think he can achieve this, but he’s going to have to be intentional on the defensive end.
I am certain that he’s going to have an excellent outside shooting season, so at this point I’m looking for him to develop in other areas of his game without hurting his three-point shooting. At the moment I’m looking at his off-ball cutting and secondary playmaking as his most likely areas of improvement. If he can add a stronger set of ancillary skills to his toolbelt, this is a guy who could potentially hear his name called in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.