Koby Brea, one of college basketball's best 3-point shooters, commits to Kentucky from transfer portal

LEXINGTON, Ky. — One of the best 3-point shooters in all of college basketball will be a Kentucky Wildcat next season.

On Wednesday, former Dayton guard Koby Brea announced his commitment to UK from the NCAA transfer portal. Brea has one year of college eligibility left after playing the last four seasons at Dayton.

Brea’s commitment came following a recruiting visit to Lexington to meet with new Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope and learn more about the UK program.

With Brea’s addition, Kentucky’s roster for next season, which will be Pope’s first as the Wildcats’ coach, numbered eight players, including six transfer portal pickups. That number increased to nine later Wednesday when UK added another veteran guard, West Virginia transfer Kerr Kriisa.

Along with Brea and Kriisa, the Wildcats are bringing in first-year guards Collin Chandler and Travis Perry, third-year guard Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), fifth-year guard Lamont Butler (San Diego State), fifth-year forwards Amari Williams (Drexel) and Andrew Carr (Delaware and Wake Forest) and second-year center Brandon Garrison (Oklahoma State).

Brea will arrive in Lexington with certified shooting chops.

The 6-foot-7, 205-pound guard made 100 3-pointers in 33 games for Dayton last season. He made 49.8% of his 3-point attempts, which put him third in the country in 3-point shooting percentage, according to KenPom.

“By the numbers, Koby Brea is the most efficient mid-to-high major player in college basketball in the last decade,” Pope said in a UK news release announcing Brea’s arrival. “He’s the best returning shooter in college basketball next year. Koby is a dangerous, dangerous man who is a great human with an incredible family. He will be key in allowing us to play the style of basketball that we love the most. Koby and this group are going to take Big Blue Nation on an incredible ride.”

Brea made an average of three 3-pointers per game for the Flyers last season.

“Growing up, I was told I was dreaming too big whenever I’d say my dream was to play for the University of Kentucky,” Brea told ESPN following his commitment. “I feel like God does everything for a reason, and he has put me in a position where I’m able to play for my dream school in my last year of college, while playing for something bigger than myself.”

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