FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas men’s basketball forward Trevon Brazile is reportedly withdrawing from the NBA Draft, according to a report from Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman.
Brazile also entered the NCAA transfer portal May 1 — the final day to enter. He participated in the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, which began May 13.
The deadline to withdraw from the draft is Wednesday.
ESPN originally reported Brazile was forgoing his final two years of remaining collegiate eligibility to focus on his professional career before he entered the portal. He announced he was entering the draft when reports of the Razorbacks hiring coach John Calipari surfaced following former coach Eric Musselman’s departure for Southern Cal.
Players who enter the transfer portal can return to their previous school should the coaching staff invite them back.
Brazile averaged 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds this season. He missed seven SEC games with knee soreness, though it is not known whether the pain was in the same knee in which he tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the 2022-23 season. He joined Arkansas ahead of his sophomore year after beginning his career at Missouri.
The rising redshirt junior was projected to be selected in the NBA Draft’s second round by many mocks and has been lauded for his athleticism and NBA-ready frame. In addition to his injury history, his struggle to find consistency during his Arkansas tenure were considered potential concerns.
The NBA Draft is June 26-27.
Arkansas, should Brazile not return, will have no returning scholarship players from this season’s team next year. The lone returner will be walk-on forward Lawson Blake.
Layden Blocker (DePaul), Davonte “Devo” Davis (Oklahoma State), Tramon Mark (Texas), Denijay Harris (Southern Mississippi), Baye Fall (Kansas State), Joseph Pinion (Arkansas State) and Khalif Battle (Gonzaga) all entered the transfer portal and have announced their destinations. Brazile, Keyon Menifield and walk-on Cade Arbogast have not.
El Ellis, Makhi Mitchell, Jalen Graham and Jeremiah Davenport all exhausted their eligibility.
Calipari has brought in eight newcomers ahead of his first year in Fayetteville — transfers Zvonimir Ivisic (Kentucky), Jonas Aidoo (Tennessee), Johnell Davis (Florida Atlantic), Adou Thiero (Kentucky) and DJ Wagner (Kentucky), and freshmen Karter Knox, Johnuel “Boogie” Fland and Billy Richmond.
The Razorbacks have five open scholarship spots remaining, though Calipari has said he would prefer to have a team of eight or nine players — with a potential 10th who accepts that role — so as to not develop players who would eventually transfer.
