Koby Brea could have gone anywhere in the portal, but grateful he chose Mark Pope and Kentucky

Koby Brea was the best shooter in the transfer portal by a mile because he was the best shooter in college basketball by a mile, leading the nation in effective field goal percentage among guards at a ridiculous 71.5 percent hit rate. His combined volume and efficiency was historic, knocking down 100 3-pointers on 201 attempts while grading out in the 100th percentile on catch-and-shoot threes. It’s why Mark Pope described him as “the most efficient mid- to high-major player in college basketball in the last decade.”

It’s also why his final list included Kentucky, UConn, Duke, Kansas, and North Carolina before signing with the Wildcats. When you’re the best, you’re wanted by the best.

Brea could have gone anywhere for his final season of eligibility, clearly, but chose to suit up for Pope in Lexington. It was a risk, the first-year coach following in a Hall of Famer’s footsteps with zero NCAA Tournament wins across nine seasons at Utah Valley and BYU. He called Kentucky his lifelong dream school over and over since making the jump, but that doesn’t mean it was a guarantee things would work out. The fit made sense on paper, but could Pope put him in position to be the best shooter in college basketball at the highest level in a historically tough conference?

The 6-7 guard currently ranks No. 8 nationally in 3-point efficiency and No. 2 among high-major players, behind only Caleb Grill of Missouri — despite taking 32 fewer shots and 12 makes short, 47.7 percent compared to 45.3 percent for Brea. Kentucky’s sharpshooter is averaging 10.8 points with 2.6 makes on 5.8 attempts per game, knocking down one 3-pointer in every outing as a Wildcat with multiple makes in 18 games.

Just as Brea has been as-advertised for Kentucky, Kentucky and Coach Pope have been as-advertised for Brea. The risk paid off for one of the nation’s best portal additions this past cycle.

“Beside the fact that it’s the University of Kentucky, obviously the greatest college in history when it comes to basketball. We have the greatest coach in the world, man. We really do,” Brea told KSR following his 11-point performance in the win vs. No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday. “Just how positive he is and how much confidence he puts in players, I feel that a lot of times coaches take your confidence a little bit. He gives you the most confidence in the world.”

His ability to hit shots on the big stage has allowed him to jump into NBA Draft status, Brea included in ESPN’s latest mock draft as a second-round pick. He tested the waters last offseason, but was not seriously considered as a legitimate selection out of Dayton. Now he’s officially in the conversation while also carving out a key role on a team with seven top-15 victories on the year, breaking a Kentucky basketball record.

The team success is overlapping with individual success, and for that, Brea thanks Mark Pope.

“He wants you to go out there and play your game, he wants you to get better every single day. He really wants what’s best for you,” Brea continued. “I feel like everything we talked about before I came and throughout the summer, he’s lived up to it. He’s been nothing but good for me.”

Not a bad recruiting pitch for future portal targets and even kids coming out of the high school ranks looking to prove themselves at college basketball’s highest level and the biggest brand in the sport.