Is Billy Richmond coming back to Arkansas basketball?
How high will Trevon Brazile get selected?
Those are two of the more interesting NBA draft questions for John Calipari‘s Razorbacks taking part in the 2026 NBA Combine. Similar questions can be asked of Darius Acuff Jr.’s draft position and Meleek Thomas’ potential return to the Hogs.
However, Acuff and Thomas did not take part in the scrimmages at the combine. Richmond and Brazile played in the 5-on-5 action on Wednesday and Thursday (May 13-14) in Chicago.
Here’s a look at how the two Hogs performed in the team drills.
Billy Richmond III
- Scrimmage No. 1: 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting (1-for-3 on 3s), 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal, 3 turnovers.
- Scrimmage No. 2: 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting (0-for-3 on 3s), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal.
Richmond’s first scrimmage included a weakside block and a steal that showed off how he can impact the game without scoring, but he also picked up some bad fouls and had a rough shooting day. The brightest moment was a step-back 3, which represented his only triple of the game.
The lefty showed off his athleticism more in the second scrimmage, getting past the defense in semi-transition for a layup and using an effective spin move to get by his defender on a missed layup at the rim.
However, Richmond missed all three of his 3-point attempts. The long-range jumper is a key factor in Richmond’s draft stock. He struggled in the scrimmages, but Richmond went 17 for 25 on spot-up 3s during individual drills. He tied for sixth and beat both Acuff and Thomas.
Trevon Brazile
- Scrimmage No. 1: 9 points on 3-of-5 shooting (0-for-1 on 3s), 6 rebounds, 1 block, 3 turnovers.
- Scrimmage No. 2: 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting (2-for-6 on 3s), 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 assist.
Brazile showed the qualities that made him an indispensable piece of the Arkansas roster this past season, especially during the second scrimmage. His long arms got in a passing lane and led to a steal-and-dunk for his one forced turnover, but his length caused problems throughout the action.
He got out in transition as a lob-threat and made a pair of 3-pointers after not making a triple during the first scrimmage. His combination of size, athleticism and 3-point shooting was rare in college basketball. It will become more common in the NBA, but his unique skillset should guarantee his name being called in the second round of the draft.
He must improve at creating offense for himself, and there were a couple of positive moments during the scrimmages. During the first exhibition, he put the ball on the floor and drove by a defender who thought Brazile was going into a dribble-handoff. The 6-foot-10 forward got to the rim for a two-handed flush.
In the second scrimmage, he hit a baseline jumper from the midrange. He was also a force on the glass.
Jackson Fuller covers Arkansas football, basketball and baseball for the Southwest Times Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at jfuller@usatodayco.comΒ or follow him @jacksonfuller16Β on X, formerly known as Twitter.Β
This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: How Arkansas basketball players performed in NBA Combine scrimmages
