Overview
Brea was a late bloomer, first making varsity as a junior at Monsignor Scanlan High School in the Bronx, N.Y. As a senior, he was named second-team All-New York and committed to Dayton. He had a minimal role as a redshirt freshman in 2020-21, being given more responsibilities in his non-redshirt freshman campaign in 2021-22. That season, Brea was named Atlantic 10 Sixth Man of the Year. He saw 21.8 minutes per game and posted 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while hitting 1.8 3-pointers on 42.3%. He won A-10 Sixth Man of the Year honors two years later as a junior, with 11.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg and 1.2 apg in 29 mpg while hitting 3 3-pointers per game at 49.8%. In the summer of 2024, he attended the Damian Lillard Formula Zero Elite Camp before transferring to Kentucky for his fifth and final season. At Kentucky, he averaged 11.6 ppg and shot 43.5% on 3-pointers along with 3.2 rpg and 1.3 apg in 28.1 mpg, starting 16 of his 36 appearances.
Analysis
Brea’s identity is 3-point shooting and as a college player, 71.9% of his field-goal attempts were 3-pointers (he made 43.4% of them). During his final two seasons, he made 46.5%. His 3-point shooting was elite and his teams ran plays specifically to get Brea open, particularly with him flying around off-ball screens. An adept pump-fake also helped free him from defenders, and he can dive inside and take the occasional mid-range shot. The other aspects of Brea’s game are all secondary and could use further development.
Projection
Brea draws comparisons to a plethora of mid-sized NBA wings who can be defined by their 3-point shooting frequency and accuracy, not limited to AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr. and Duncan Robinson. He’s likely a second-round pick for a team that needs shooting. Brea will likely begin his NBA career as a reserve, but could evolve into a starter if his 3-pointer is as accurate as it was in college.
— Profile by RotoWire.com