Koby Brea, Amari Willams Selected in NBA Draft

NEW YORK – In the 2025 NBA Draft, Kentucky had two players — sharpshooting guard Koby Brea and 7-foot center Amari Williams — who were picked in the second round Thursday night. Brea was selected at No. 41 overall by Golden State before he was traded to the Phoenix Suns. Picked at No. 46 by Orlando, Williams was dealt to the Boston Celtics.

Koby Brea and coach Mark Pope share a special moment during the pregame Senior Night ceremony at Rupp Arena this past season. (Photo by Jamie H. Vaught)

Brea averaged a career-high 11.6 points per game and connected on 43.5% from behind the arc in his lone season with the Wildcats.

“I’ll do anything that’s needed,” Brea said on ESPN’s broadcast. “I’m an extreme competitor. I’m someone who is super coachable. I just want to be there and become the best version of myself and do whatever is asked of me. They’re going to get somebody that is all hands in.”

Said UK coach Mark Pope, "I could not be more excited for Koby Brea and this opportunity. Two years ago, Koby had a really tough surgery and spent an entire summer in a wheelchair. To see him come back from that, become a Kentucky legend and now make his way to the NBA has been incredible to witness.”

The 6-foot-7 guard appeared in all 36 games for the Wildcats and made 16 starts in 2024-25. Brea drained 93 3-pointers on the season which is the seventh-most in a single season in program history.

The graduate student scored in double figures in 21 games and made multiple 3s in 27 outings. He was at his best inside the friendly confines of Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center where he connected from deep at a 51.4% rate (57-111).

Brea led the team with a career-high-tying 23 points and a career-high 10 made field goals in the NCAA Tournament victory over Illinois that lifted the Cats into the Sweet 16. He added 22 points in UK’s win over Oklahoma in the Southeastern Conference Tournament. In a road win at Tennessee, Brea was a perfect 5 of 5 from the field and tallied 18 points. He set a career high with 23 points and seven made 3s in the win over eventual champion Florida. He earned SEC Player of the Week following his performance against the Gators.

The Washington Heights, New York, native topped 1,000 career points in a home victory over Colgate in late December.

Prior to Kentucky, Brea was a two-time Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year at Dayton. He became just the second player in league history to win the award twice in a career. As a senior, he led the nation in 3-point percentage when he connected on 49.8% of his attempts. It was the highest mark in six seasons in NCAA history.

Brea is the first NBA draft selection under Pope. He’ll join three UK players in Phoenix in Devin Booker, Nick Richards and TyTy Washington Jr.

Williams, meanwhile, enjoyed a prolific season for the Cats where he became just the fourth player in program history to record a triple-double. 

Kentucky's Amari Williams looks for an open teammate during UK's 95-64 win over LSU at Rupp Arena this past season. (Photo by Jamie H. Vaught)

Williams averaged 10.9 points per game, a team-high 8.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per outing. He connected on a career-best 56.1% of his field-goal attempts and became the all-time leader in assists for a player at least 7-foot tall in UK history with 115 dimes.

He becomes the 143rd player to ever earn selection in the NBA Draft in program history. With Williams and Koby Brea earning selection on Thursday, Kentucky has had multiple picks in the NBA Draft in 16 consecutive seasons. That’s the longest streak in the nation.

“Amari Williams did it all for us this season as a point-center,” Coach Mark Pope said. “He has taken an untraditional path to the NBA, coming from Nottingham, England, to setting records at Drexel before setting records as a Kentucky Wildcat. I could not be prouder of Amari and am looking forward to seeing what he does next.”

Williams was a National Association of Basketball Coaches Second Team All-District selection after he became just the 25th player in NCAA Division I history to register at least 375 points, 300 rebounds, 100 assists, 40 blocks and 20 steals in a single season while playing fewer than 1,000 minutes. He capped his stellar season with Kentucky with a 39.6 points-rebounds-assists per 40 minutes tally, which is the third highest by any UK player since the 1996-97 season.

The Nottingham, England, native scored in double figures in 21 games and had double-digit rebounds in 16 outings. He posted 10 double-doubles on the season, including eight against Southeastern Conference foes.

Williams logged 10 rebounds, eight points, six assists and three blocks in helping send UK to the Sweet 16 in a win over Illinois. He is the only Kentucky player to record that line in the NCAA Tournament.

He finished the season as one of 14 active players to record 1,000 career rebounds and points. Williams became the only Wildcat since 1983-84 to have at least 13 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists when he turned the trick against No. 1 Auburn. He is the first Division I player to achieve those marks against the top-ranked team since 2004-05.

Furthermore, Williams became the first NCAA or NBA player since Pau Gasol on Nov. 21, 2010, to record 15 or more points, four or more blocks and shoot 100% from both the field and free-throw line when he had 17 points, six boards and four blocks against Vanderbilt.

Williams recorded just the fourth triple double in program history with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists at Ole Miss.

Prior to his time with the Wildcats, Williams played four seasons at Drexel where he was the first ever player to be named Coastal Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Year in three-consecutive seasons (2022, 2023, 2024) and was a 1,000-point scorer. He capped his career with Drexel ranking fifth all-time in school history with 186 career blocks.