Kentucky basketball is currently preparing for Big Blue Madness with some intense practices leading up to the event. Among Kentucky’s top players heading into the season is Koby Brea, a transfer guard from Dayton. As one of the best shooters in the nation, Brea will be a major part of Kentucky’s offense.

Mark Pope has raved about him numerous times about his incredible shooting ability, saying, “By the numbers, Koby Brea is the most efficient mid-to-high major player in college basketball in the last decade.” That’s very high praise, but the 6-foot-7 guard has backed that up. Last season at Dayton, he was extremely efficient, shooting 51.2% overall and 49.8% from three-point range.

Brea will be a massive part of Mark Pope’s offensive system, adding in that he’s also the perfect fit for it as an efficient shooter. The ball-handling and spacing of the offense will allow Brea to get plenty of open looks, and with his terrific shooting percentage, there’s no question about his numbers this season. He’ll get to show off that ability in a system that is perfect for players like him.

Let’s take a look at what his stats may look like this season.

Just like Jaxson Robinson, Brea will have plenty of opportunity to shine in Kentucky’s offense. The 6-foot-7 guard will likely even have more scoring opportunities just given how impressive of a shooter that is. Factor in the spacing, which will help get him open to shoot from deep, there will be plenty of shooting attempts up for grabs for Brea.

Brea will not only have plenty of opportunities to shoot, but he will also have plenty of scorers around him to pass it to, which will lead to more assist numbers in the long run. With the talent around him compared to his time at Dayton, there’s no reason to believe his assists won’t take a giant leap.

The 6-foot-7 guard should not need to get many rebounds this season with the big men ready to do the dirty work. Especially on the offensive end, Brea shouldn’t see many opportunities to get a rebound given his high-prioritized role as an efficient shooter.

Brea should be one of the players that fans are most excited to see this season, especially with how exciting Pope’s offense is and how it caters to shooters like him.

Remnants of Tropical Storm Helene rolling through Louisville and broader Kentucky regions could affect some weekend plans to jam out at Louder Than Life or partake in fall festivities.

We’re keeping an eye on events around Louisville happening this weekend that could be impacted by severe weather. Here’s what we know so far.

The status of Paristown Art Fest is unknown, but according to press release from the Fund for the Arts, their celebration of the arts scheduled for Saturday is being postponed.

“Celebration of the Arts will now be a part of Paristown’s Spring into Derby Art Fest, in Christy’s Garden from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. on April 19,” Fund for the Arts spokesperson Tory Parker stated. “Paristown will then welcome Juicebox Heroes, who perform that night at 7 p.m.”

Gate openings for Friday have currently been delayed. A specific time when festivalgoers will be allowed in has not yet been released. Check back for updates.

Yes. Several districts have shut down in anticipation of severe weather Friday.

All Jefferson County Public Schools high school games have been canceled for Friday, spokesperson Mark Hebert said. There has not yet been an announcement from the Archdiocese of Louisville on the state of games to be played Friday for schools under their purview.

Check your school’s website and communication channels to stay updated on whether events are happening.

Heading into Thursday night’s contest against Allen Count-Scottsville, Paducah Tilghman quarterback Jack James was on a mission.

The Troy commitment was focused on setting a new Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) all-time passing touchdown record and the senior just needed three scoring passes to make it happen.

According to Paducah Sun News’ sports editor Jared Jensen, James threw five touchdown passes and led the Blue Tornadoes to a 42-16 victory and passed Caldwell County’s Elijah Sindelar (2011-2014) to set a new KHSAA all-time touchdown passing record with now 147. Sindelar’s previous record was 144 passing touchdowns.

The Allen Count-Scottsville/Paducah Tilghman game was moved up to Thursday night because of the threat of torrential rain from Hurricane Helene impending for Friday night.

Last season, James led Paducah Tilghman to a 13-1 record and finished completing 255-of-375 passes for 4,019 yards, 56 touchdowns and just six interceptions. James also ran in six touchdowns.

Among the other offers James has on the table are from Charlotte, Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Miami (OH), Old Dominion and Tulane.

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— Andy Villamarzo | villamarzo@scorebooklive.com | @sbliveky