Coming off the Bench is No Problem for Koby Brea

Vicky Graff Photo

Koby Brea was the nation’s top 3-point shooter at Dayton last season when he made 100 of 201 3’s, a 49.8 percent mark — the highest percentage in the NCAA in six seasons. None of that was a huge surprise considering he had shot 46 percent from 3 the previous season.

Brea transferred to Kentucky and got off to an even hotter start from 3-point range this season but has yet to start a game — and that has been fine with him. He has made 26 of 43 3’s — a 60.5 percent mark going into tonight’s game with Gonzaga.

“Over the years, I (have) just gotten used to it. I pretty much have a routine when I’m coming in the game, and then everybody talks about, you know, how coming off the bench is not the best thing, whatever. But for me, I see it as a pretty good thing,” Brea, who is  averaging 12.8 points per game after UK’s first eight games, said.

“I get to see the game before I get in. I get to see how the other team is guarding us and I get to see our guys, how they’re playing, who’s high, who’s not. I kind of just read the game from the outside, and then I come in and I’m able to do what I have to do. I think it’s a pretty good opportunity for me before I get into a game.”

Brea said he tries to play his game whether UK is playing Duke or Jackson State.

“I don’t see any game differently. I don’t treat any possessions differently. I’m just going out there and I’m just playing with my brothers,” he said. “At the end of the day, I just got to stick to the game plan and we all just try to win.”

While Brea’s offense gets a lot of attention, he likes the way the team is “connected defensively” already even though the Cats have an all new team this year.

“The more games we go, the better it gets. We start to see more clips on film of how connected our team is defensively and how many kills we’re getting, three stops in a row,” Brea said.  “Every game, that’s something we take pride in.”

Brea had not played in Rupp Arena before transferring to UK but he had been to Rupp. He came to see rappers Drake and J. Cole in concert in March.

“He was like, ‘Man, this is Kentucky.’ And his girlfriend asked, ‘Are you more excited about Drake or Rupp?’ He said, ‘I’m more excited about Rupp,’” Kentucky coach Mark Pope revealed on his radio show when talking about Brea’s play in Rupp Arena.