Currently, Kentucky guard Koby Brea leads the NCAA in 3-point percentage.
First year Head Coach Mark Pope handpicked Brea in the transfer portal, which played perfectly into Pope’s 3-point tailored style. The former Dayton Flyer led the NCAA Division-I with 49.8% shooting from three.
Thus far in 2024, Brea has been even better than advertised.
The reigning 3-point percentage leader is atop the NCAA leaderboard yet again to begin the season. Through five games, Kentucky’s newest sharpshooter is shooting a remarkable 74.1%, nailing 20 of his 27 attempts.
“I mean Koby is in a tough spot, man, because he goes five-for-eight from the 3-point line and it’s destroying his shooting percentage, which is just crazy,” Pope said after Friday’s 108-59 win over Jackson State. “I’ve never seen that in my lifetime, he sure is doing special things for us.”
Although Pope was being sarcastic, there was truth in his statement. Prior to the match against Jackson State, Brea was shooting lights out at 78.9% from deep.
A five-for-eight outing would be a good night for any player in the country, but for the New York native it lowered his percentage.
This was high praise from Pope considering he shared time on the hardwood alongside all-time 3-point legends such as Reggie Miller, Ray Allen and Chris Mullin, respectively in his six year NBA career.
“Best shooter in the country, without a doubt,” teammate Lamont Butler said following a 97-68 victory over Lipscomb.
Brea’s 2023-24 campaign finished 17th all-time in 3-point percentage for a single season. The all-time leader is Duquesne’s Micah Mason in the 2013-14 season. Mason shot 56% from three.
Despite that, the chase for the all-time spot may be premature.
Even then, Brea could be in the race for Kentucky’s single season record. That record is held by Travis Ford from the 1992-93 season, which ranks fifth all-time at 52.8% shooting.
“I think the stress about shooting kind of goes away a little bit, just because we have some great shooters,” Brea said after beating Lipscomb. “Everyone else shoots the ball well, so it kind of takes pressure off myself a little.”
There’s no denying that Brea isn’t a major contribution to Kentucky’s high-octane offense that is averaging 97 points per game, which stands at fourth best in the nation.
On Friday, Brea led the Wildcats in points with 22 points on eight-of-11 shooting with six of those baskets being threes while coming off the bench. The righty is averaging 16 points and 4.4 assists per game.
“You got Koby Brea running around shooting threes… I think we’re almost two points per possession against the zone,” Pope said after defeating Lipscomb. “He’s a fun player to coach, he’s a beautiful human.”
Moving forward, Brea could see more minutes, especially as the guard grows even more comfortable in Pope’s system.
The Wildcats will return to Rupp Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 26, to match up with in-state opponent Western Kentucky. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game will be aired live on ESPNU.
