Engaged Brazile Impresses Coaches, Key to Hogs' Winning Stretch

Razorbacks' longest tenured player finally living up to lofty expectations

Trevon Brazile (4) during Arkansas' 75-60 win over UTSA inside Bud Walton Arena. / Nilsen Roman - Hogs On SI Image

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas senior forward Trevon Brazile's year has been full of ups and downs.

Luckily for him, the best is taking place at the right time as the Razorbacks slide into position for a NCAA Tournament bid. As cliche as it sounds, the truth is the Razorbacks are at their best as a team when Brazile is giving the team quality minutes.

The 6-foot-10, 235 pound stretch-four has scored in double figures in three of his last four games including two straight double-doubles. Brazile showed the college basketball world exactly what he was capable of in a nine-game stretch in 2022 before tearing his ACL two years ago.

Somehow, despite not playing well since the final non-conference game until Arkansas' home victory against Missouri 15 games later, coaches kept him holding on along with fellow big man Jonas Aidoo.

"When [Trevon Brazile] plays well, our team is a lot better," associate head coach Kenny Payne said Monday ahead of the SEC Tournament. "I had some friends come in from out of town, and that was their first time seeing him play in person, and they walked away saying, 'Man, this kid is athletic and he can run. He blocked shots, he rebounds out of his area. He can really shoot the ball.'"

From highlight reel dunks to splashing threes from the outside, Brazile possesses rare versatility ripe for the NBA to take advantage. When confident in his abilities, he is an unstoppable force averaging 10 points, 10 rebounds and one block in 31 minutes per game.

"What you find is that [Brazile] has gotten comfortable, confident and he's playing with energy," Payne said. "I love the fact that he's showing emotions, that he's engaged into the game and he's playing to win."

When Arkansas needed him most following a blowout loss at South Carolina, Brazile responded with 16 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks in a must-win at Vanderbilt to keep the Hogs from falling off the NCAA bubble. In the regular season finale against Mississippi State with a tournament bid still in question, Brazile brushed aside a couple of fouls that kept him sitting for much of the first half to show out in the second with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a game where the Razorbacks needed every positive to squeak out a 93-92 win.

Coach John Calipari didn't come out and say which players needed confidence boosters when Arkansas couldn't quite put away the likes of ranked opponents such as Auburn, Alabama and Texas A&M. However, the coaches and teammates constant encouragement helps blot out athlete's mental struggles than anything else

"He's finding out that he is really a good player," Payne said. "And, we're finding out just how good he can be, and what he exactly is."

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