Kentucky sharpshooter Koby Brea is projected as an early second round pick in a new mock draft.
Kevin O'Connor of Yahoo! Sports has Brea going 34th overall to the Charlotte Hornets following Monday night's lottery used to determine the order for the 2025 NBA Draft.
That's quite a jump for Brea, who is projected to go 54th overall to the Indiana Pacers by Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report listed Brea as one of his second round sleepers, comparing him to Allan Houston, Dennis Scott, Jason Kapono, Kyle Korver, Sam Hauser, and Steve Novak.
"There's no doubt in my mind Brea has a chance to be a specialist at the NBA level," Wasserman said. "With his size and just a very projectable stroke and you have a very believable NBA shooter. If you're an NBA team late in the second round and you need shooting, I don't know how you don't consider Brea. He checks every box."
At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago this week, Brea has proven himself to be one of the top shooters in the draft, shooting 70% off the dribble (21 of 30) and 15 of 25 in the 3-point star drill. His 57% composite percentage ranked among the top 10 prospects at the combine. He also measured at 6'5 ¾" barefoot, 201.8 pounds with a 6'5 ¼" wingspan and 8'5 ½" standing reach.
After spending his first four collegiate seasons at Dayton, Brea averaged 11.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in 36 games with 16 starts while shooting 47% from the floor, 43.5% from 3-point range and 91.4% from the free throw line.
He scored in double figures in 22 games with seven games of 20+ points, including 23 points on 7 of 9 3-pointers in a 106-100 win over No. 6 and eventual national champion Florida in the Wildcats' SEC opener at Rupp Arena on Jan. 4 and 23 points on 10 of 16 shooting in an 84-75 win over Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Brea made at least one 3-pointer in 35 of 36 games, multiple 3s in 27 games, and three or more 16 times. His 93 triples are tied for seventh on Kentucky's single-season list for made 3s and are the most since Malik Monk made 104 during the 2016-17 season.
The 2025 NBA draft is slated for June 25-26 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first round will air June 25 on ABC, ESPN and the ESPN App. The second round on June 26 will air on ESPN and the ESPN App.
Since 2010, no school has produced more No. 1 overall picks (3), top-10 picks (17), lottery picks (25), first round picks (37) and total NBA Draft picks (49) than Kentucky. Since the NBA went to a two-round draft in 1989, the Wildcats now have the most players drafted overall with 65, 48 of which have come in the first round.
UK has also had at least one player drafted in 17 consecutive drafts, the longest active streak of any school, and a first round pick in 15 straight drafts, the longest streak in the common era. The Cats have produced multiple draft picks in 15 consecutive drafts.