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Kentucky basketball’s Koby Brea is a lethal shooter. But he wants to be more than that.

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Kentucky basketball’s Koby Brea is a lethal shooter. But he wants to be more than that.


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LEXINGTON — Unlike so many players who populate college basketball rosters — particularly at Kentucky, which has signed an abundance of McDonald’s All-Americans and has had more players selected in the NBA draft (and more first-round products) than any program in the country — Koby Brea wasn’t a can’t-miss prospect at the beginning of high school.

In fact, during his freshman season at Norman Thomas High School in New York, he didn’t survive roster cuts to make the team. Brea used it as motivation after transferring to Monsignor Scanlan High School, located in the Bronx. His first season at Monsignor Scanlan, Brea helped the junior varsity team reach the final four of the city championship tournament. Later that year, he represented the Dominican National Team in the U-17 FIBA Centrobasket Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Brea appeared in five games, averaging 9.2 points, 4.6 boards and 2.8 assists in 26.8 minutes per outing.

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That propelled him into his junior high school season.

By then, he had moved up to the varsity.

His debut game with the varsity was against highly touted New York power Archbishop Stepinac, Brea announced his arrival on the national stage. Facing off against Archbishop Stepinac’s pair of McDonald’s All-Americans, R.J. Davis (now at North Carolina) and AJ Griffin (who went to Duke), Brea put on a show. He poured in 21 points in an 81-69 loss to its nationally ranked foe.

“That’s when everybody knew, like, ‘Yeah, this kid could really be different,’” Chris Florentino, Monsignor Scanlan’s JV boys basketball coach, told The Courier Journal.

Coaching hoops isn’t Florentino’s only job at the school, though. He’s also Monsignor Scanlan’s director of admissions and assisted Brea with his transfer into the school. It was a seamless transition.

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“He was a quiet, mild-mannered kid,” Florentino said of Brea, who graduated in 2020. “Super pleasant to be around. People person. He was one of those guys everybody loved, to be honest. He wasn’t like a Hollywood-type of guy. He was humble. And I think that came from his family. … It was good to have him around.”

It’s the same thing UK and its fans have said since the 6-foot-7, 215-pound guard joined the program during the offseason.

Brea was the nation’s top 3-point shooter last season, sinking nearly half (100 for 201; 49.8%) of his long-range attempts for Dayton. But after four years with the Flyers, he entered the transfer portal. That set off a spirited recruitment that involved some of the country’s most storied programs. He wound up picking UK over a quartet of other blue bloods: Duke, Kansas, North Carolina and UConn.

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His torrid shooting from distance hasn’t slowed down this season. Through the first four games of the Wildcats’ 2024-25 campaign, Brea had made a scorching 78.9% (15 for 19) of his 3-point attempts. Though he’s cooled off slightly, he’s still within striking distance of topping the national chart for the second time in as many seasons.

He shrugs off the title of “college basketball’s best 3-point shooter,” however, a callback to Florentino’s mention of his former pupil’s humility.

“I’m always focused on what I have to do as a player for my team to succeed, what we have to do as a team,” Brea said. “And I’m always just looking to win. And within that, I play my best. People free me up, and we all love playing with each other. So I know that any time I’m open, those guys are confident, and they trust in me a lot — and they’re willing to pass it. And as a shooter, that’s all you want: You want to have the confidence and trust of your teammates.”

They not only have faith in him. They’re in awe.

“Koby is one of a kind, man,” fifth-year senior forward Andrew Carr said. “It’s really special.”

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Carr, a gifted shooter himself, wasn’t sure how Brea does it.

“I think it’s got to be a little bit of God-given touch and talent. He works super, super hard. We see that and just the way the ball comes off his hand. He thinks it’s going in; we all think it’s going in every single time.”

For all the praise he receives — and rightly so — for his shooting touch, Brea isn’t satisfied. He’s striving for more ways to frustrate foes. Even if those areas hadn’t been his calling card during the four-season run with the Flyers.

“Outside of his 3-point shooting, his statistical profile? He doesn’t really do much else,” Evan Miyakawa, a basketball statistician who runs the analytics website EvanMiya.com, told The Courier Journal last summer. “He doesn’t really rebound the ball much. He doesn’t really provide for teammates much. He was a middling defender, at best, for Dayton last year. So his value is 3-point shooting. That’s what it is. But there’s not a lot outside of that, and because of that, that’s why I don’t have him ranked as highly as some of UK’s other transfers.”

Brea is well aware of the criticism.

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“That was something that I focused on a lot this summer: just U evolving from a shooter to an all-around player,” he said. “I continue to be labeled as ‘a shooter,’ and I want to be more than that, you know?”

That label — that he’s “just a shooter” — is bothersome to Brea.

“I know that there’s a lot more to my game,” he said, “but obviously that’s what I do best, so I understand why they might feel that way. But at the end of the day as a player, you just want to keep evolving and keep growing. I think I’ve been doing a pretty good job of that — and thanks to the coaches for that.

“It never stops. You’ve just got to keep going.”

Florentino has no doubt Brea will do just that. And Florentino can’t wait for Saturday, when Brea will be back in the Big Apple with the Wildcats. That day, UK takes on Ohio State at Madison Square Garden, part of this year’s edition of the CBS Sports Classic.

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When Brea was in town with Dayton for previous matchups versus Fordham, all of Monsignor Scanlan’s teams — varsity and varsity B, JV and freshman — were on hand to support him.

He’ll have a sizable cheering section at “The World’s Most Famous Arena,” too.

“Being that he’s from Manhattan, he’s gonna have the Dominican crew in there waiting on his arrival,” Florentino said. “So I know he’s definitely gonna look to put on a show.”

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.





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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill

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Virginia woman arrested 30 years after newborn was found in a Kentucky landfill


More than three decades after a newborn’s remains were discovered in a Kentucky landfill, investigators say advances in forensic science have finally led to an arrest.

Jennifer Cummins of Fairfax County, Virginia, was taken into custody on January 6 in connection with the death of an infant known for decades only as “Baby Jane Doe,” Kentucky State Police announced this week.

The case dates to 1991, when a sanitation worker discovered the remains of a baby girl at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University.

Despite early investigative efforts, authorities were unable to identify the baby or determine who was responsible, and the case eventually went cold.

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Kentucky State Police detectives recently reopened the investigation using modern forensic tools and updated investigative techniques. With assistance from the State Medical Examiner, it was determined that the infant was born alive and healthy before being placed in a dumpster on the campus of Eastern Kentucky University.

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University

An arrest has been made in the death of a baby whose remains were found in 1991 by a sanitation worker at the former Richmond Landfill in Madison County, near Eastern Kentucky University (Google Maps)

The new information ultimately identified Cummins as a person of interest. In late 2025, the case was presented to a Madison County grand jury, which returned an indictment charging Cummins with murder.

“Even after decades of time that has passed, with the collaboration of new technologies, advancements, and persistence, we’ve been able to discover new leads in this case,” said Kentucky State Police Trooper Justin Kearney. “That’s why it’s so important for people to know these cases never go cold to us.”

Authorities have not released details about Cummins’ relationship to the child or the specific circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.

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Kentucky State Police say the investigation remains active, and that investigators say they are still seeking the public’s help to resolve some unanswered questions.

Cummins is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center while awaiting extradition to Kentucky.



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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville

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Kentucky Transfer WR Hardley Gilmore IV Commits to Louisville


LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Montavin Quisenberry isn’t the only former Kentucky wide receiver to switch out blue for red this offseason.

Hardley Gilmore IV announced Thursday that he has committed to the Louisville football program.

He’s the fifth Wildcat to transfer to the Cardinals in this cycle, following Quisenberry, who committed earlier in the day, cornerback D.J. Waller plus defensive ends Jerod Smith II and Jacob Smith.

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Gilmore is also the 11th portal pickup for UofL in the last three days, and their 15th transfer commitment overall in this cycle, beginning to offset 23 portal defections that UofL has seen so far. The 14-day transfer window officially opened up this past Friday, and is the only opportunity for players to enter following the removal of the spring window.

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Despite Kentucky’s instability at quarterback this past season, Gilmore put together a productive 2025 campaign. Playing in all 12 games while starting five, the 6-foot-1, 165-pound receiver caught 28 passes for 313 yards and a touchdown. His reception and yardage total was second on the team to Kendrick Law.

The Belle Glade, Fla. native got immediate playing time as a true freshman in 2024. Appearing in seven games, Gilmore was able to haul in six passes for 153 yards, including a 52-yard touchdown vs. Murray State.

While Gilmore has shown high end potential on the field, he comes with some off-the-field baggage from last offseason. Last January after opting to transfer to Nebraska following his true freshman season, he was charged with misdemeanor assault for allegedly punching someone in the face at a storage facility in Lexington. Then this past April, he was dismissed from the Huskers for unknown reasons, and wound up returning to Kentucky.

“Nothing outside the program, nothing criminal or anything like that,” Huskers head coach Matt Rhule said at the time regarding Gilmore’s dismissal. “Just won’t be with us anymore.”

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Gilmore and Quisenberry are the first of likely multiple transfer pieces that Louisville will add to their wide receiver room. Between graduation and the portal, the Cardinals are losing six receivers – including Chris Bell & Caullin Lacy.

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In their third season under head coach Jeff Brohm, Louisville went 9-4 overall, including a 4-4 mark in ACC play and a 27-22 win over Toledo in the Boca Raton Bowl. The Cardinals have won at least nine games in all three seasons under Brohm, doing so for the first time since 2012-14.

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(Photo of Hardley Gilmore IV: Jordan Prather – Imagn Images)

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You can follow Louisville Cardinals On SI for future coverage by liking us on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram:

Facebook – @LouisvilleOnSI
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You can also follow Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @Matt_McGavic on Twitter/X and @mattmcgavic.bsky.social on Bluesky





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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect

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Spotted lanternfly confirmed in 8 new Kentucky counties. About invasive insect


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  • The invasive spotted lanternfly has been confirmed in eight new Kentucky counties in 2025, bringing the total to 16.
  • Native to China, these insects pose a significant threat to agriculture, including orchards, vineyards, and various trees.
  • Spotted lanternflies damage plants by feeding on them and leaving behind a waste product that encourages mold growth.
  • Officials advise residents to inspect their property for the bugs and their egg masses, especially around dusk.
  • Sightings in Kentucky should be reported to the Department of Forestry or the University of Kentucky.

Entomologists have confirmed spotted lanternflies in eight more counties in Kentucky during 2025, according to a recent announcement.

These include Fayette, Franklin, Harrison, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford. The invasive insect was first found in the commonwealth in October 2023, in Gallatin County, and spread to counties including Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Grant, Henry, Kenton and Owen in 2024.

Here’s what to know.

What is a spotted lanternfly?

In short, the spotted lanternfly is a moth-like bug that’s not supposed to be in the U.S. The bugs tend to be red with black and/or white spots on their wings, according to the Department of Agriculture.

They’re native to China and first showed up in the U.S. in 2014. They’ve mostly been found in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the USDA reports, but they’ve also been found in Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia.

One of the things that makes them so risky as an invasive species is that the eggs are thought to travel well, on everything from packages being shipped to moving boxes on U-Hauls. 

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Why are spotted lanternflies dangerous?

Spotted lanternflies can pose a major threat to the things such as orchards, vineyards and logging facilities. How? They tend to swarm and devour what they land on quickly, causing serious damage. 

Their “waste product” — known as “honeydew” — can also attract molds and other bugs that further damage plants.

They pose a threat, according to the USDA, to everything from almonds, apples and hops to maple, oak and pine trees and more.

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Is the spotted lanternfly in Kentucky?

Yes. The Kentucky Office of the State Entomologist said in a post to Facebook that the spotted lanternfly was confirmed in eight new commonwealth counties during 2025.

The species has been located in 16 counties total — Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Harrison, Henry, Kenton, Owen, Pendleton, Robertson, Scott, Trimble and Woodford.

What to do about spotted lanternflies

The biggest thing you can do, according to the USDA, to help control the spread of the spotted lanternfly is to keep an eye out for them.

It is recommended that you inspect trees, plants and other surfaces on your property for bugs. It’s best to do that around dusk, the USDA says, because that’s when bugs tend to congregate, making them easier to spot.

Signs that a plant may be infected include the plant oozing, becoming moldy or developing a fermented odor, according to the USDA. You may also see a “buildup of sticky fluid” beneath the infected plant.

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The agency also recommends you keep an eye out for egg masses on everything from plants to boxes that hold things such as holiday decorations and often sit unattended for much of the year. If you spot an egg mass, you should scrape it “into a plastic zippered bag filled with hand sanitizer, then zip the bag shut and dispose of it,” according to the USDA.

In Kentucky, you should report sightings to your Department of Forestry regional office or reach the UK at 859-257-7597 or forestry.extension@uky.edu. UK experts also ask that anyone who finds one send a picture with the location to reportapest@uky.edu.

Contributing: Mary Ramsey, The Courier Journal. Reach Marina Johnson at Marina.Johnson@courier-journal.com.



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