Kentucky Basketball got SEC play off to a good start, earning a high-profile win over the No. 6 Florida Gators. The Wildcats handed the Gators their first loss of the season, which was also Florida’s first game against an AP Top 25 team this season. It was an entertaining, fast-paced game with plenty of scoring opportunities as Kentucky won 106-100 at Rupp Arena.

A big part of this win was Kentucky’s three big runs in the game. The Wildcats had a 16-0 run during the game and two separate 10-0 runs, all of which helped them win. Who stepped up during these runs? One of those players was Koby Brea, who set career highs in several categories. He scored a career-high 23 points with 7 three-pointers and an extremely efficient 8-11 shot. Brea came up big throughout the game, but especially when the Wildcats needed him most on those big runs.

Brea struggled with missed throws for part of the season, but on Saturday the 6-foot-2 guard found his rhythm again. He has made at least one three-pointer in every game this season, and Saturday’s win over Florida was his 12th game this season in which he made multiple three-pointers. Mark Pope raved about his shooting ability after the game and said it was hard to argue that Koby Brea is the best shooter in college basketball.

“He was magical tonight, wasn’t he? I don’t know, you’d have a hard time making a really convincing argument that he’s not the best shooter in the country, it’s just ridiculous. The way he shoots, how he gets it done, where he shoots it, how high he shoots it. Obviously he was hugely important for us and he was also another big catalyst in those runs. We had some fatigue on the floor and maybe had to pick some makeshift lineups. We were a little stronger than usual with other players, and Koby said, “Don’t worry, I’ll just get it done.” He has also developed enormously in defense. “He is also the most beautiful child that you are
I will ever meet a person, he is special.

– Pope on Koby Brea.

Brea’s career night gave Kentucky another top-10 win to add to their resume, making it their third top-10 win of the season, with Duke and Gonzaga being the other two. Now Kentucky will celebrate its debut win and shift its focus to Georgia when it travels to Athens on Tuesday night. Brea will try to stay hot from deep.