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Pistons Gamble on Kentucky Basketball Sharpshooter in NBA Mock Draft

The Detroit Pistons take a gamble on a sharpshooter in a recent NBA Mock Draft.
Justin Grasso|
Mar 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Trajan Langdon, the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans, left, talks with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) before a game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images
Mar 26, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Trajan Langdon, the general manager of the New Orleans Pelicans, left, talks with Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kenrich Williams (34) before a game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Day two of the 2025 NBA Draft is here! The Detroit Pistons are set to go on the clock at No. 37 overall, barring any unexpected changes.

Although any pick deep in the draft is a gamble, there’s more than enough evidence over the years to prove that second-round selections could surely pay off in a big way.

In a day two mock draft put together by CBS Sports, the Pistons take a gamble on the Kentucky Basketball sharpshooter, Koby Brea.

“Detroit adds another weapon to surround Cade Cunningham with in the backcourt,” CBS Sports’ Kyle Boone writes. “Brea hit 43.5 percent of his 3-pointers last season with Kentucky and rated in the 96th percentile on catch-and-shoot opportunities.”

The Pistons found out last season that putting high-volume sharpshooters around Cunningham is truly a recipe for success. Brea’s college run proved he could be right for a role, similar to Simone Fontecchio or Malik Beasley, within the Detroit system put together by JB Bickerstaff.

Brea is a 22-year-old sharpshooter, standing at 6’7”. He recently wrapped up a five-year career in the NCAA. Most of his time was spent at Dayton, where he started just 21 of the 113 games he played.

During Brea’s final season at Dayton, he appeared in 33 games. He averaged 11 points while shooting 51 percent from the field. Taking six threes per game, Brea knocked down 50 percent of his shots. Not only did he lead the A-10 Conference from deep, but his three-point percentage was highest in Division I basketball.

Last year, Brea wrapped up his college career playing for Kentucky Basketball. He appeared in 36 games and started a career-high 16 matchups. Seeing the court for 28 minutes per game, Brea averaged 12 points, three rebounds, and one assist.

The senior attempted six threes per game during his lone season at Kentucky. He shot 44 percent from deep, which was the highest three-point percentage in the SEC.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia

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