Mark Pope Makes History: Koby Brea and Amari Williams Become His First NBA Draft Picks at Kentucky

Mark Pope Makes History: Koby Brea and Amari Williams Become His First NBA Draft Picks at Kentucky

From overlooked transfers to NBA Draft picks Mark Pope’s vision is officially turning into reality at Kentucky.

For the first time in his head coaching career, Kentucky’s Mark Pope watched as two of his players Koby Brea and Amari Williams were selected in the 2025 NBA Draft, validating both his eye for talent and his ability to develop it in record time. What makes the moment even more impressive? Neither player was a top-40 transfer last offseason. Neither began their career in a Power Five conference. Yet just one year under Pope’s guidance turned them into pros.

On Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Brea was selected 41st overall by the Golden State Warriors, with his rights traded to the Phoenix Suns. Just five picks later, Williams was drafted at No. 46 by the Orlando Magic, whose pick was then traded to the Boston Celtics, where he’ll start his NBA career on a two-way contract.

For Pope, a coach who has been on the job in Lexington for just over a year, the moment was bigger than a draft night celebration it was the first true payoff of a vision he brought to Big Blue Nation last April.

“I could not be more excited for Koby Brea and this opportunity,” Pope said via a press release. “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.”

Koby Brea: From Mid-Major Survivor to NBA-Ready Sniper

Brea’s journey is nothing short of inspirational. After spending the majority of his college career at Dayton, where he became known for his sharpshooting and high basketball IQ, Brea suffered a significant setback a surgery that left him in a wheelchair for the summer of 2023. Many wondered whether he’d ever return to form.

He didn’t just return. He leveled up.

At Kentucky, Brea thrived in Pope’s offense, which emphasized spacing, shooting, and ball movement. He became a leader on and off the court, a reliable veteran presence among younger talent, and one of the SEC’s most dangerous perimeter threats. His ability to hit timely shots, guard multiple positions, and space the floor ultimately caught the attention of NBA scouts, leading to his selection in the early second round.

Amari Williams: The Point-Center Nobody Saw Coming

And then there’s Amari Williams, the 6-foot-10 center from Nottingham, England. Williams spent four years at Drexel, earning multiple CAA Defensive Player of the Year honors before making the leap to Kentucky. Despite his accolades, he arrived in Lexington with little national buzz.

Pope, however, saw a different version of Williams one who could handle the ball, pass out of the high post, and stretch the floor. He quickly earned the nickname “point-center,” anchoring Kentucky’s defense while also orchestrating offense from the elbows and perimeter.

“Amari Williams did it all for us this season,” Pope said. “He has taken an untraditional path to the NBA… I could not be prouder of Amari and am looking forward to seeing what he does next.”

Williams’ versatility was critical to Kentucky’s late-season surge. He rebounded, protected the rim, facilitated offense, and developed a soft mid-range jumper that made him a matchup nightmare in SEC play. His path to the league wasn’t paved by flashy mixtapes or five-star recruiting rankings. It was paved by growth, grit, and trust in a coach who saw potential when others overlooked him.

A Blueprint for the Future

These aren’t just two feel-good stories. They’re a proof of concept for what Mark Pope is building at Kentucky.

In the modern college basketball landscape one increasingly ruled by the transfer portal coaches must be able to identify overlooked talent, develop it quickly, and sell a vision that works. In Brea and Williams, Pope just proved he can do all three.

And in doing so, he’s also laid down a compelling recruiting pitch:

Come to Kentucky. Get better. Get drafted.

That message is already reverberating through the college basketball world. It tells transfers that Pope knows how to prepare players for the pros. It tells recruits that Kentucky is still the place where dreams are launched even if you don’t start there.

As the Wildcats prepare for the 2025–26 season, Pope now has momentum, proof of player development, and two NBA Draft picks to show off. For a coach still cementing his legacy in the shadows of Calipari and Rupp, this moment is a significant and symbolic step forward.

Koby Brea and Amari Williams are more than Pope’s first NBA Draft picks  they are the foundation of a new Kentucky standard.