All Hogs

Brazile must be centerpiece if Razorbacks are to reach potential

Versatile 6-foot-10 forward can score inside and out, but must be force on defensive end
Bob Stephens|
Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile looks inside during game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile looks inside during game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

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Arkansas Razorbacks

Trevon Brazile put himself in the crosshairs of Michigan State's defense, but also grabbed the attention of NBA scouts with his explosive performance in Arkansas' season opener Monday.

The 6-foot-10 senior forward scored a career-high 25 points to go with 11 rebounds to excite the announced sellout crowd of 19,200 at Bud Walton Arena.

More importantly, he earned plaudits from Razorbacks coach John Calipari for his part in the Hogs' 109-77 rout of the Southern Jaguars, a respected team that could reach the NCAA Tournament in March.

Calipari made certain Brazile would get offensive opportunities early in the opener, which helped build his confidence, but also sent a message to his younger teammates.

"The reason we did it is I told the team, ‘If he's going to rebound like that and block shots, throw him the ball,'" Calipari said. "You're not just going to play one side of the ball and, while you guys let him, and then you shoot all the balls. No, we're going to let him have shots.’

"And so I said it again at halftime. He's just going to have to take advantage. They went zone, we put him in the middle. Did some good stuff."

Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile drives the lane in a game against the Southern Jaguars
Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile drives the lane in a game against the Southern Jaguars at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nilsen Roman-allHOGS Images

Can Brazile be this efficient on a consistent basis?

Brazile shot an efficient 8-of-14 from the field, which broke down to 7-of-11 inside the three-point point line and went 1-of-3 from the arc.

The Hogs will play a lot of "four out," meaning Brazile is on the perimeter with the wings and guards. But he should get lots of opportunities to post up smaller players, which should lead to easy baskets and lots of free throws.

"A lot of teams like to switch one through four," Brazile said, who's designated a 'four' as the power forward. "A lot of times I have maybe have a two or three on me, or maybe a one. I got to take advantage of that for us to be a good team."

He made 8-of-10 free throws against Southern, impressing Calipari, who knows Brazile has that capability but just needs consistency.


"Coach Cal has just been on me this whole summer and especially to have these last two exhibition (expedition) games, I was missing free throws," Brazile said. "So he’s just been on me about bending my knees and just staying in the shot. So that’s all I was trying to do and it had a good result."

Does Brazile have an NBA future, and what is the key for him?

Calipari, a Hall of Fame coach, saidshooting free throws well is one component of Brazile's game that needed improvement and could be a key to his possible NBA future.

"Are you good enough to be in that league?" Calipari asked. "He looks the part. Now he's just got to keep doing it. If he could make free throws like that, believe me when I tell you, you know what they say? He can shoot."

Calipari is speaking from experience and referenced his former Kentucky star Karl Anthony Towns, who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft and Rookie of the Year the next season.

Calipari isn't saying Brazile is the second coming of Towns, but there is a valid comparison when NBA scouts are gauging shooting ability and potential.

"Karl Towns shot [81.3%] from the line," Calipari said. "You know how many threes he took that year? About three [2-for-8].

"But you know what (NBA scouts) said? 'He can really shoot.' So make 90% of your free throws, [and] they'll say if he makes those, he can shoot."

Last college try for talented Brazile after rocky road

As a freshman at Missouri in the 2021-22 season, Brazile started 23 of 25 games and showed potential. He transferred to Arkansas, but played only nine games because of an ACL injury. He was averaging 11.8 points and six boards, helping lead coach Eric Musselman's team to an 8-1 start.

He started 36 of 60 games the next two seasons while adjusting to new teammates and a coaching change, but he's bulked up, improved his court sense, and his overall game.

Brazile delivered several highlight dunks as a junior, many of which came while he was a key cog in Arkansas' late-season run to success.

He'll be a key when the No. 14-ranked Hogs travel to face No. 22 Michigan State and Hall of Fame coach Tom Izzo, who also fields a team that is big and brawny and expects to dominate the paint.

Calipari is counting on Brazile and Hogs center Nick Pringle, a grad transfer who's played at Alabama and South Carolina, to hold their own.

"[Brazile's] got to play through some bumps," Calipari said after the easy win over Southern. "He did a little bit of it today, but he's gotten so much better."

At times, Brazile was a beast last season. Check out these highlights 11 months ago against Michigan's twin 7-footers in Madison Square Garden.

How well will Brazile mesh with Hogs' hotshot freshmen guards?

Brazile also impressed his young teammates, fabulous freshmen guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas. They must each play big roles if Calipari's second Arkansas team is to reach its potential.

Thomas, who had 21 points and seven assists with just one turnover, said Brazile's effort and efficiency helped motivate others.

"He just give us another a boost, kind of like another step," Thomas said. "When you see a vet playing like that, all it makes you want to do is just meet that level of intensity that he's playing,

"He's playing with energy rebounding. He's doing everything that we know he could do. So it's just like, now we got to be at our best. When you see one do well on your team, it just makes you want to up the intensity."

Arkansas' Trevon Brazile dunks against the Southern Jaguars
Arkansas' Trevon Brazile dunks against the Southern Jaguars in the season opener as part of a career-high 25 points. The Razorbacks won 109-77. | Arkansas Athletics

Brazile brushed off his big game like a true veteran, knowing there is much to prove and a lot of ball before the SEC schedule begins and anyone thinks about March Madness.

"The whole summer, the way we were scrimmaging, you know, that's just the way I've been playing,"
Brazile said. "I know for us to be successful, I got to keep playing that way. So, you know, I'm just, I'm just doing my job.

"I try not to get too high or too low about it. You know, it's a long season. This was the first game,  first game that counted. So I was just trying to go out there and show what I can do, and that was a good night tonight. But, you know, I know it's long season, so, I try not to get too happy about it."

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Bob Stephens
BOB STEPHENS

Bob Stephens won more than a dozen awards as a sportswriter and columnist in Northwest Arkansas from 1980 to 2003. He started as a senior for the 1975 Fayetteville Bulldogs’ state championship basketball team, and was drafted that summer in the 19th round by the St. Louis Cardinals but signed instead with Norm DeBriyn's Razorbacks, playing shortstop and third base. Bob has written for the Washington Post, Chicago Sun-Times, San Diego Union-Tribune, New Jersey Star-Ledger, and many more. He covered the Razorbacks in three Final Fours, three College World Series, six New Year’s Day bowl games, and witnessed many track national championships. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife, Pati. Follow on X: @BobHogs56

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