Koby Brea on Kentucky's roster: 'Experience is everything'

The new Kentucky men’s basketball roster is chock full of new faces, from the handful of freshman recruits new head coach Mark Pope has brought in to the bevy of transfers. But one thing guard Koby Brea is confident they’re not short on is experience.

Among the cadre of new players, Kentucky has effectively imported a wealth of experience not only in big regular season games, but in the NCAA Tournament. The talent needs to mesh on the court, still, but the foundation of having players who have been around the block is something Brea — a Dayton transfer — isn’t taking for granted.

“Experience is everything. In basketball, in any sport,” Brea said. “Especially in college. When you’re able to have so many people that have been in college but not only in college but also play in March Madness and to have experience playing in pretty big games. And I feel like we all have that. We have some freshmen that we’ll be able to help them along the way. I feel like we’ll be a really good team.”

One of Brea’s new teammates is on the same page

New point guard Lamont Butler is another veteran, who comes to the Wildcats after four years at San Diego State. And though he’s new on the scene like a majority of his teammates and head coach, Butler knows the onus will be on him to lead his squad, especially given his role as the point guard.

“I think as a point guard, you have to be a leader on the court,” Butler said. “And that’s just what comes with the position.”

And though he’s new in Lexington and among his teammates, Butler has no shortage of experience banked to draw on as a leader. He’s played 131 career games, appeared in four NCAA Tournaments and helped guide the Aztecs to the 2023 national championship game.

Butler is hopeful he can lean on it all as he tries to guide this new-look Kentucky team into a new era.

“I do think my experience from playing in the tournament these last four years, I think that’s just going to help my leadership. Feel like I’ve grown as a leader through my years and I’m excited to get here and continue that leadership.”

Butler knows how much the Kentucky men’s basketball squad means

Butler spoke about the early love that these new Wildcats have gotten from Big Blue Nation at the NEW ERA Event from Club Blue on Saturday. He said that they’ve already made their impact on them and shown how much they care about this first team of the new era under Pope.

“Oh, it’s amazing. It’s amazing,” said Butler. “Everyone is so nice and, you know, loving and caring.”

“BBN? Everyone loves BBN,” Butler said. “I understand how special this team is for them.”

Kentucky appears to have fully bought in on this upcoming tenure under Pope. It took them a minute to fully warm up to the coaching change but, after a few days, buy-in from the fanbase has been in full force ever since. That’s been evidenced by their commitments in NIL as well as their approval of each and every move since then this offseason.

This is also just a reviving of the program after the past few seasons. The Wildcats appreciated all that took place over their decade and a half under John Calipari. Still, this shift for the Wildcats has been a welcome, and arguably much-needed, change of pace for everybody involved.

That includes for Butler who, after four years at San Diego State, is part of this next roster for Kentucky. All that’s left now is for him to take the court and compete for them in his fifth collegiate season.

“I just can’t wait to go out there and play for them,” Butler said.