Arkansas' Trevon Brazile told ESPN that his college career is over as he's hiring an agent and declaring for the 2024 NBA draft.
"I'm 100 percent into the draft," Brazile said. "Arkansas made a big hire with John Calipari. I'm happy for the program, but the main thing for me is keeping a one-track mind. I am going out for my dreams in the NBA."
Arkansas is finalizing a deal to hire Kentucky's John Calipari to replace Eric Musselman, who departed for USC last week, sources told ESPN. Brazile said neither he nor his agent have been contacted by Calipari, whose hiring had not yet been officially announced as of early Monday afternoon.
Brazile, ranked No. 42 in the ESPN 100 among NBA draft prospects, was named a preseason first-team All-SEC player after returning from an ACL injury that ended his sophomore season in December 2022. He averaged 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 26 minutes per game, shooting 35% from 3.
He showed flashes of what made him a projected first-round pick at times -- for example, he posted 19 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in a win over Duke -- but was inconsistent this season. Midseason knee soreness hampered him, limiting his minutes.
Brazile, who stands 6-foot-10 with a 9-foot standing reach and 41-inch vertical leap, is the type of fluid, explosive big man who could help his standing considerably in the NBA pre-draft process. He brings a coveted combination of length, floor-spacing ability, finishing prowess, mobility defending on the perimeter and instincts as a rim-protector.
"If that path comes, I will handle it when it happens," Brazile said, adding that he does not plan to enter the NCAA transfer portal. "Right now, on this day, I'm thinking about the NBA draft."
Brazile said he is planning to get in optimal shape and competing in the NBA draft combine in Chicago starting May 13.
"I'm trying to peak at the right time, getting in the best shape possible, and then go to this combine and try to kill it," he said. "I'll work out for NBA teams and then go from there."
The NBA draft will be held in New York City on June 26-27. The first round will be conducted at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, followed by the second round the next day at ESPN's studio in lower Manhattan.
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and International teams.