Koby Brea wears his love for Kentucky on his sleeve, even at the NBA Combine
Chicago
Koby Brea loved his time spent as a Kentucky basketball player, and he was never shy about it.
Perhaps the most memorable example of Brea expressing his appreciation for the opportunity to play for the storied program came a few minutes after his time as a Wildcat officially ended.
Brea was on the podium for his final press conference appearance as a college player following UK’s loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in March, when he tried to sum up what the experience meant to him.
Yeah, I don’t know who is in charge of the jerseys and all that, but they’re going to go through some trouble to get mine,” he said. “It’s still surreal every time I walk in the locker room, and I’m able to put this jersey on. Just from everything I have dealt with, everything I have been through, where I come from, just to be able to put it on, it’s super special.”
Brea went on to describe the immediate bond he formed with his new teammates — “we were all strangers when we first got here” — and how he was embraced by the UK fan base.
“We’re all a big family now, and BBN has been amazing,” he concluded. “They made this dream like a reality, for real, for me. Ever since I stepped onto campus, everybody’s greeted me with open arms, and they’ve been amazing to me and my family. It’s been everything I wanted it to be and more.”
Brea played his first four seasons of college basketball with the Dayton Flyers, but he finished his career with the Wildcats, and — if he hears his name called at the NBA draft next month — it will be “Kentucky” that accompanies that announcement.
It sure sounds like he’ll get to enjoy that moment.
When the latest batch of mock drafts were released after the final order of picks was set Monday night, Brea’s name was on all of them.
Yahoo Sports has him as the No. 34 overall pick — just outside of first-round range — to the Charlotte Hornets, while Bleacher Report projected him at No. 44 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and both ESPN and The Athletic placed him at 54th overall to the Indiana Pacers. The draft will be held June 25-26 in Brooklyn.
