http://www.twincities.com/timberwolves/ci_6256543 In University of Florida junior Corey Brewer, the Timberwolves on Thursday drafted a player who has the size and athletic ability to play shooting guard or small forward in the NBA and help them immediately become a better perimeter defensive team. The Wolves chose Brewer with their No. 7 pick in the first round of the NBA draft. They took his Florida teammate Chris Richard, a forward, in the second round with the 41st overall pick. Brewer, the most outstanding player at this year's Final Four while leading the Gators to their second straight national championship, said he was ready to defend the best offensive player on the opposing team. That means guarding prolific scorers like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady. "I plan on doing that," the 6-foot-9 Brewer said about possibly becoming the team's defensive stopper. "I feel like that's my reputation. I'm prepared to have that role." That could mean competition for Wolves forward Trenton Hassell, who has made a career in Minnesota as a respected defender. Brewer, who averaged 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and two steals a game for Florida last season, wants to also provide a scoring option. "I feel like (Hassell's) a great defensive player, too," said the 21-year-old Tennessee native. "But I hope I can bring something extra. I hope my offensive game keeps developing. This summer that's what I'm going to work on." First things first, though. The 185-pound Brewer will have to get his body more ready for the physical nature of the NBA. Brewer didn't expect to be drafted by the Wolves in part was because he struggled at times during his workout in Minnesota against bigger wing players such as Georgetown's Jeff Green and Florida State's Al Thornton. "I really didn't have a good workout with Minnesota, so I didn't know what would happen," said Brewer, a two-time Southeastern Conference co-defensive player of the year. "I felt like I had better workouts. I had my best workout at Charlotte." Wolves vice president Kevin McHale didn't think the workout hurt him a great deal. Brewer was still able to bench press his own weight about 15 times, McHale said. "He said he was tired and didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but it was all right," he said. "We had him in with a bunch of guys that were 225 and 235. He got up and defended them. He was moving his feet and he was wiry strong." There's little doubt that strength was one of the things Brewer worked on after he decided to stay in school with his talented Florida teammates - Al Horford, Joakim Noah and Taurean Green - after winning their first national title more than a year ago. The decision was much tougher on Brewer than his teammates, because his family was in a much different financial situation than theirs. Horford and Green have fathers who played in the NBA, while Noah's father, Yannick, was a former professional tennis player. "It was a tough situation for me last year, because my family did need the money," Brewer said. "But I felt like my mom and dad just told me to be happy. I thought I'd be happier and mature more as a player going back to school." The improvements to Brewer's game and confidence became evident in the 2007 NCAA tournament. He led the team with 21 points in the first round game against Jackson State. He scored 19 points against UCLA in the Final Four and had 13 points and eight rebounds in the championship game against Ohio State. "He does a lot of little things," McHale said. "The guy won two championships. There's something to be said for that. Those things just don't fall off trees." --

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