Arkansas standout Trevon Brazile tears ACL, out for season

Arkansas has been dealt an early-season blow, losing sophomore forward Trevon Brazile to a torn ACL.

Going down midway through the first half of the Razorbacks’ 65-58 win over UNC Greensboro on Tuesday, the school announced Brazile’s knee injury would keep him out the remainder of the season. The 6-foot-10 forward will undergo surgery to repair the torn ACL later this month.

Brazile, a transfer from Missouri, was averaging 11.8 points on 48.1% shooting and 37.9% from three to go with a team-high 6.0 rebounds in 27.0 minutes per contest. Taking on a sixth-man role for the Razorbacks, the Springfield, MO native had recorded two double-doubles on the year with three 20-point performances.

Kentucky was among the schools to reach out to the versatile forward when he entered the transfer portal this offseason, making contact in March. As a freshman, Brazile averaged 6.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per contest on the year, including 12.0 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game over Missouri’s last five games. A tremendous athlete with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, he was considered one of the best long-term prospects to hit the portal.

That potential was already starting to shine through in his first eight games as a Razorback, moving up to No. 50 in ESPN’s latest 2023 mock draft.

Now, though, Brazile’s rise to stardom has been put on hold as he begins the rehab process and fights to return to game action next season. For Arkansas, the team — ranked inside the top 10 and a real competitor in the SEC — loses a significant piece of the rotation early in the year.