Koby Brea

Koby Brea
No. 4 – Kentucky Wildcats
PositionGuard
LeagueSoutheastern Conference
Personal information
Born (2002-11-06) November 6, 2002 (age 22)
The Bronx, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolNorman Thomas
(Manhattan, New York)
Monsignor Scanlan
(The Bronx, New York)
CollegeDayton (2020–2024)
Kentucky (2024–present)
Career highlights and awards

Koby Brea (born November 6, 2002) is a Dominican-American college basketball player for the Kentucky Wildcats. He previously played for the Dayton Flyers.

Early life

Brea was born on November 6, 2002, in The Bronx.[1] His parents are both from the Dominican Republic.[2] He attended Norman Thomas High School in Manhattan as a freshman but was cut from the basketball team.[2] He then transferred to Monsignor Scanlan High School as a sophomore and played for the junior varsity team.[2] He then made the varsity as a junior and averaged 18.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.[3] He was team captain as a senior and averaged 20.8 points and 7.8 rebounds while being named second-team All-New York.[3] He committed to play college basketball for the Dayton Flyers.[4]

College career

Brea averaged 2.9 points per game as a freshman at Dayton in 2020–21 in limited playing time.[5] In 2021–22, he averaged 8.1 points and made 42.3% of his three-point shots, being named the Atlantic 10 Conference Sixth Man of the Year.[6] However, he learned that he suffered stress fractures in his legs following the season and opted not to have surgery, leading him to miss practice and the start of the 2022–23 season recovering.[6] He averaged 6.8 points and 3.3 rebounds that season while appearing in 28 games.[7] His three-point percentage dropped to 37.0% and he played through pain as the season went on, opting to get surgery following the season.[6][8] He had metal rods inserted into his legs and spent several weeks in a wheelchair.[6]

Brea returned for the 2023–24 season and appeared in all 33 games, averaging 11.1 points.[1] He was the national leader in three-point percentage, making 49.8% of his attempts.[9] He helped the team reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament and was named the Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year for a second time, being one of only two to accomplish the feat.[6][10]

Brea transferred to the Kentucky Wildcats for his final season of college basketball in 2024–25.[11]

International career

Brea was a member of the Dominican U17 basketball team in 2019, averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists and competing in the U17 Centrobasket tournament.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Koby Brea". Proballers.com.
  2. ^ a b c Archdeacon, Tom (February 23, 2022). "Archdeacon: Brea brings Dominican pride to Dayton hoops". Dayton Daily News.
  3. ^ a b "Koby Brea". Kentucky Wildcats.
  4. ^ a b "El dominicano Koby Brea, la nueva promesa del básquetbol" [Dominican Koby Brea, the new promise of basketball]. El Caribe. June 23, 2020.
  5. ^ Patton, Andy (April 16, 2024). "5 potential landing spots for Dayton grad transfer Koby Brea". USA Today.
  6. ^ a b c d e Roberts, Ben (July 30, 2024). "One new Kentucky Wildcat went from a wheelchair to the nation's top 3-point shooter". Lexington Herald-Leader.
  7. ^ Jablonski, David (March 27, 2023). "Two Dayton guards will undergo offseason surgeries". Dayton Daily News.
  8. ^ Jablonski, David (July 30, 2023). "Dayton guards traveling long road back to court after offseason surgeries". Dayton Daily News.
  9. ^ Ebanks, Jared (October 22, 2024). "Washington Heights Native Koby Brea Talks Realizing His Dream at Kentucky and Overcoming Obstacles as Best Shooter in College Basketball". Slam.
  10. ^ Jablonski, David (March 12, 2024). "A-10′s top sixth man, Brea, expects to return for fifth season at UD". Dayton Daily News.
  11. ^ Givony, Jonathan (May 1, 2024). "Dayton transfer Koby Brea brings 3-point prowess to Kentucky". ESPN.