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Overview

Brewer proved to be a perfect fit for head coach Bill Donovan's up-tempo style.

A versatile athlete, he excels on the fast break whether playing on the wing or executing his inside-outside style from the shooting guard position.

Brewer, whose cousin is Jerry Brewer, a columnist for the Seattle Times, was a regular feature on the Gators' sports page. He was the team's leading scorer each of his three seasons at UF, compiling 1,225 points, as all five of Florida's starters scored over 1,000 points during that span.

Like several of his future UF teammates, Brewer was a McDonald's All-American while earning All-American honors from both Parade (fourth team) and Slam Magazine (honorable mention) as a senior at Portland High School in 2003-04. He was honored as The Tennessean's Mid-State Player of the Year, the Class AA Mr. Basketball and Gatorade's Tennessee Player of the Year that season.

Brewer averaged 29.4 points and 12.8 rebounds his senior season. His scoring average was the highest of any mid-state player in Tennessee. He also averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds during his junior season and was a consensus top-30 recruit in every major service.

During his first season at Florida in 2004-05, Brewer earned Southeastern Conference All-Freshman honors and developed a reputation for disruptive defense and extremely quick hands. His tenacious defensive style made him an immediate fan favorite, as he led the Gators in steals at 1.4 per contest. He demonstrated offensive skills when called upon and averaged 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game in the Gators' run to the SEC Tournament title in Atlanta, including a 17-point outburst against Mississippi State in the quarterfinals.

As a sophomore, Brewer earned All-SEC second-team recognition. He scored 12.7 points per game, while averaging 4.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 steals. He was a member of the SEC Tournament All-Tournament team and the Final Four All-Tournament team, and hit one of the most memorable shots in recent UF history in the Sweet 16, knocking down an acrobatic shot while being fouled that erased a one-point deficit to Georgetown and propelled the Gators into the Elite Eight. That season, Brewer averaged 15 points and 6.5 rebounds in two Final Four games. He scored in double figures in five of the six NCAA Tournament games overall, including 23 against Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

His 61 steals were the third-highest total in UF history and he scored in double figures 26 times in 2005-06, including four 20-point games. He led UF in assists on 11 occasions and posted the first triple-double in UF history on Dec. 18, posting 15 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists (the 13 assists were the most by a Gator since Jason Williams had a UF-record 17 in 1997). A solid perimeter defender, Brewer was named the SEC co-Defensive Player of the Year.

In 2006-07, Brewer earned All-SEC first-team honors and was named the Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Final Four, leading the Gators in scoring vs. Ohio State, as Florida captured their second straight national championship. He missed three games in December due to mononucleosis, but still averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. He led the team in scoring in 11 of 37 contests and scored at least 10 points in 34 of those appearances.

Brewer went for 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and four steals against Georgia in January, going over 1,000 career points with a dunk with under 11 minutes remaining in regulation. It was the second time he'd flirted with a triple-double, as he scored 22 points with nine rebounds, seven assists and six steals against Western Kentucky in November. He closed out his final season by receiving John Wooden All-American honors.

In 108 games at Florida, Brewer played 2,948 minutes, leading the team's active players with 1,225 points scored. His average of 1.62 steals per game ranks third in Schoolhistory behind Richard Glasper (1.83; 1977-78) and Eddie Shannon (1.76; 1996-99). He started 106 of 108 games, the eighth-most in Schoolhistory. His 176 steals rank fifth in Florida history. He finished with an average of 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game, connecting on 427 of 890 field-goal attempts (48 percent) and 272 of 384 free throws (70.8 percent). He also proved to be a deadly shot from the perimeter, making 35.6 percent of his 3-point attempts (99 of 278).

Scouting Report

Positives: Has a lean, muscular frame with long arms, soft hands and room on his frame to add at least another 12-15 pounds of bulk without having the weight affect his overall mobility...Outstanding defensive player who might be a better fit at shooting guard than small forward at the pro level, as he lacks point-guard quality ball-handling skills...Sets his feet properly before firing at the basket...Team-oriented and takes more pride in forcing a turnover than scoring...Uses his reach and footwork well on defense and is the type that will pass the ball rather than take a questionable shot...He has the size, leaping ability and body control to bang the boards...He demonstrated much better rhythm when shooting on the go in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and showed penetration skills getting to the rim...Very effective playing off screens and does not need the ball in his hands to make a big contribution...Uses his long wingspan to disrupt the opponent...Has worked hard to improve his outside shot and demonstrates the ability to create shots for himself and teammates...Not afraid to take the ball inside, showing an efficient spin move when working in the paint...Has the agility to shoot off the dribble and the quickness to get by the defender in his drive to the basket...Gets a lot of steals in the open court and is a very good finisher in transition...Adequate set shooter who is effective from 3-point range...Uses his arms well to prevent the opponent from creating much offense...Uses his frame to prevent his man from going to the basket off the dribble...Shows great quickness in recovering defensively...In transition, he is capable of dribbling end to end, but lacks consistency.

Negatives: Needs to add strength and bulk to his frame, as he gets muscled by more physical forwards, making him a better candidate for playing at shooting guard...Can dribble, but gets sloppy with his ball handling, leading to turnovers...Has decent 3-point range, but seems to lack confidence along the perimeter and is streaky...Can create his own shot, but does not seem to be comfortable when he has the ball in his hands...Must get a better grasp of the defensive alignment, as he doesn't dribble away from pressure...Has a good work ethic but will make a few mental mistakes...Much better on defense, as his offensive game lacks any one truly outstanding characteristic.

Compares To: JALEN ROSE, Phoenix. Brewer is an excellent defender, especially compared to Rose, but has similar versatility with decent range. What he lacks is consistency. His ball-handling skills are lacking a bit, but he is a slasher with an effective jump shot. He showed great maturity as a junior and displays superb leaping ability, having won the Tennessee prep title in the long jump. He lacks the upper-body strength you look for in a small forward, but with his ability to finish in transition, he would make a nice shooting guard with great size.

High School

At Portland (Tenn.) High School, Brewer excelled in basketball and track...Won the state title in the long jump...McDonald's All-American selection as a senior, adding All-American honors from both Parade (fourth-team) and Slam Magazine (honorable mention)...Honored as The Tennessean's Mid-State Player of the Year, the Class AA Mr. Basketball and Gatorade's Tennessee Player of the Year that season...Averaged 29.4 points and 12.8 rebounds his senior season...His scoring average was the highest of any mid-state player in Tennessee...Also averaged 22.3 points and 7.5 rebounds during his junior season and was a consensus top 30 recruit in every major service.

Personal

Social/behavioral sciences major...Involved in community affairs, spending his spare time talking at local schools and working with youngsters...Born 3/05/86...Resides in Portland, Tennessee.

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