John Calipari reveals message to Trevon Brazile after missing go-ahead free throws

Arkansas was eliminated from the SEC Tournament in the second round on Thursday. Ole Miss‘ Sean Pedulla drained the go-ahead 3-pointer with one second left in the game to give the Rebels the 83-80 win.

The Razorbacks lost despite being in position to take the lead by up to two points when Trevon Brazile went to the free throw line for a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the game. Brazile, who finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, missed both attempts before Pedulla’s game-winner. Arkansas head coach John Calipari sent a clear message to Brazile following the game, sharing his support for the veteran forward.

“I told him in front of the team, ‘Look at me. That did not cost us the game. The reason we were in the game is because of you. That’s why we were in the game. You have gotten so much better,’ Calipari said he told Brazile.

“I mean, you can look at different things when you’re in a close game like that. This turnover, that missed rebound, that foul near the basket to give them and-ones. It was all kind of stuff. This is what I say. Our kids never stop. They haven’t stopped all year. Early in the game, I didn’t realize we were down 15 at one point. These kids didn’t stop.”

Ole Miss made then game-winning play after Pedulla rebounded Brazile’s second missed free throw. He drove down the court to hit the 3-pointer to win it for Ole Miss and advance them into the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

While the Razorbacks will have to watch the rest of the SEC Tournament back home in Fayetteville, it remains to be seen if Arkansas has done enough to make the SEC Tournament. With Arkansas still on the bubble, Calipari revealed whether or not he plans to get his team back together and watch the NCAA Tournament selection show on Sunday.

“We’ll possibly do something,” Caipari said. “Hopefully we’ve done enough and done enough in this league. You’re playing the 1 ranked, 2 ranked [teams]. You’re doing the things that we’ve done. I think we’ve proven it.”

As it stands, Arkansas appears to be well within the bubble as the top team in Joe Lunardi’s ‘last four byes’ line in the most recent Bracketology update. This would put the Razorbacks as a projected 10-seed in next week’s NCAA Tournament if the bracket was revealed today.