FAYETTEVILLE — A few things are apparent after the first six games of the 2022-23 season for ninth-ranked Arkansas.
For one, the Razorbacks are solid defensively and have the potential to be one of the nation’s best on that end. According to KenPom analytics, they have a defensive efficiency rating of 87.1, which is fifth-best in the country.
Secondly, freshman guard Anthony Black and Wichita State transfer Ricky Council are the heartbeat of the team’s play on the floor. The duo ranks No. 1 and 2 in scoring and steals, and tied for the lead in assists.
And finally, the Razorbacks become a different team — for the better — when Missouri transfer Trevon Brazile is a presence on the perimeter. The second halves of Arkansas’ final two games at the Maui Invitational against No. 10 Creighton and No. 17 San Diego State proved as much.
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“I think he’s just a guy that, kind of like a baseball hitter,” Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said Saturday. “You give him enough swings and he’s going to figure out a way, if he’s really good, to get on the base path or to (record) RBI or whatever you might want to say.
“With TB, his three-point shooting really changes the complexion of who we are. Then he had some really phenomenal dribble-drives to the rim, as well.”
Against the Bluejays and Aztecs, Brazile scored just 4 total points and was 0 of 4 from three-point range prior to halftime. Arkansas scored 34 and 26 first-half points, respectively, in those games.
The 6-10 sophomore responded with a 15-point second half against Creighton and 18 points after halftime vs. San Diego State, and he was 6 of 9 beyond the arc. And the Razorbacks scored 53 and 52 points after the break.
According to Brazile’s shot chart from Hawaii, 5 of his 6 made threes came from the top of the key. He is 10 of 24 from three-point range this season.
For context, the 10 threes match the likes of South Carolina star freshman Gregory “GG” Jackson and Auburn point guard Wendell Green, and are more than Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler.
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Brazile, as he often has this season, came off the bench in the second half against the Bluejays. But he started after halftime in the tournament finale.
“We’ve stated before that he’s a starter, but we’re bringing him off the bench,” Musselman said. “I love him in that role because he can change the complexion of the game, whether it be in the 17-minute mark of the first half or the 19-minute mark of the second half.
“At some point he’s seemed to come in and give us a great jolt when he enters the game.”
In addition to his offensive boost, Brazile averaged 7.5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals against Creighton and San Diego State. He led Arkansas with 9 rebounds against San Diego State, and had 2 assists, 3 blocks and 1 steal in the Razorbacks’ loss to Creighton.
He has been Arkansas’ best on the defensive glass (39) this season. According to KenPom data, he has rebounded 26.3% of opponents’ available misses when on the floor.
The mark is tops among SEC players who have played at least 40% of their teams minutes, and ranks 51st nationally.
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CBB Analytics also show that the Razorbacks’ defensive rating drops from 89.9 with Brazile off the floor to 84.1 when he is in the lineup. Arkansas’ block rate is 11.9% when he is on the floor, and 6.0% when Brazile sits.
“(He showed) just what we know he can do,” Black said of Brazile’s play on Maui. “He shot the ball well, blocked shots at a pretty high level, rebounded, defended despite being in foul trouble. He’s a special talent. He just showed that this week. I think if he would have stayed out of foul trouble that his numbers would have been a little bit higher than they even were.
“We really just saw the Trevon we know. He really just rose to the occasion in the big games.”
Through six games, Brazile has scored 17-plus points three times. His single-game high at Missouri over 25 games was 15 points.
He also has three outings this season with nine-plus rebounds. Brazile had two such games with the Tigers.
“Obviously the lob dunks and defense is something we see all the time,” Council said. “Just continuing to utilize all his potential and talent, that'd be really good for us throughout the season.”