Kentucky men’s basketball has added another name to its growing list of NBA draft picks, this time with the Wildcats’ 3-point juggernaut Koby Brea, who was selected by the Phoenix Suns No. 41 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Golden State Warriors initially held the pick but will instead receive the No. 52 and No. 59 selections from the Suns after trading the draft rights to Brea.
Brea, a 6-foot-7 guard out of New York, spent his fifth and final year of eligibility at Kentucky after playing four seasons 135 miles north of Lexington with the Dayton Flyers.
He became a vital piece of Mark Pope’s first-year campaign, quickly establishing himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in the nation and one of Kentucky’s top offensive contributors.
Through 36 games, he averaged 11.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG and 1.3 APG while shooting 47% from the field.
He shot 43.5% from 3-point range, one of the top marks in the country this season.
His 93 made 3-pointers tied for seventh-most in a single season in program history, and his 43.5% clip ranks fourth all-time among Kentucky players with at least 150 attempts.
Brea made at least one 3-pointer in 35 of 36 games and had multiple makes in 27 contests, including 24 straight to open the season.
He led the team in scoring eight times and posted 21 double-digit performances, including seven games with 20 or more points. He notched a career-high 23 points in wins over both No. 6 Florida and Illinois in the NCAA Tournament, while also reaching 1,000 career points during the season.
Before arriving in Lexington, Brea played four seasons in Dayton, Ohio, where he earned Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year honors twice and led the nation in 3-point shooting percentage in 2023-24 at 49.8%.
He finished his college career with 1,264 points and 308 made 3s, shooting over 45% from long range.
Now, Brea looks to bring that same elite perimeter shooting to the professional ranks as he begins his NBA career with the Suns, alongside former Duke center Khaman Maluach, who was selected 10th overall.
