Trevon Brazile on the other side of the portal

Kickapoo and Yanders Law alumni, Trevon Brazile, has ended his short stint in the transfer portal by committing to Arkansas.

Trevon Brazile described the transfer portal as a “crazy process,” but it has worked out well for the promising second-year big man out of Springfield, MO.

“As soon as I hit the portal, my phone blew up,” Brazile says. “It was a little overwhelming but good to have so many options and a chance to talk to so many different schools.”

Brazile, a Yanders Law AAU alumni, shocked Southwest Missouri by transferring to Kickapoo his senior season. That move worked out well, with the Chiefs winning a state title. After earning his stripes at Mizzou, he is confident that he is making the right move once again.

In seeking out a new school, Brazile says that he was looking for a program with similar goals to his own.

“(Arkansas) is all about winning and competing,” Brazile says. “They laid out a game plan for what they wanted to do with me. They are a hardball school that wants to win.”

Another standout attribute that the explosive athlete noticed was how meticulously the program went through every aspect of the game. Sounds like the owner of a training facility that we know.

“The attention to detail stood out when I was making my decision,” Brazile says. “On my visit, I could tell everything was done with precision. It just felt right.”

While Trevon is focused on winning in his second college season, he will always lean on the lessons he learned in his first.

“I didn’t play the first nine games (for Mizzou) due to health, so that helped me on the mental side - handling adversity,” Brazile says. On the basketball side, I got used to the pace and really just learned the college game.”

Still evolving as a player, Brazile is one of the highest-upside guys to come out of the Yanders Law program in a long time. Strength is the area he is trying to improve upon the most right now.

“I am working on ball-handling - keeping the ball on a string,” Brazile says. “Also, shooting off the dribble. Really, I am working on getting stronger with the ball AND getting stronger in the weight room.”

Asked what Razorback fans can expect from him, Brazile sums it up nicely by saying: “a hardworking kid.”

“I am going to play my role,” Brazile says. “… and yeah, high-flying plays, alley-oops, and blocked shots.” There it is.

Brazile has always been a blast to watch on the hardwood, and Arkansas coaches, teammates, and fans just scored a helluva recruit. Good luck next season, Trevon!

Check out more photos of Arkansas’ top recruit here!

Transfer portal talk with Rob Yanders

Rob Yanders breaks down what the transfer portal is as well as the pros and cons.

Many familiar names have recently entered the NCAA transfer portal. Former high school stars from the area (and Yanders Law alumni) such as Anton Brookshire, Trevon Brazile, and Monty Johal are among the players to test the waters. But, what exactly is the transfer portal?

Rob Yanders breaks down what the transfer portal offers to collegiate athletes:

“Having the transfer portal means players can explore their options as student-athletes,” Yanders says. “They maintain their option to return to their current school, but also explore other avenues.”

Yanders says that since gaining national momentum over the last two years, the transfer portal has helped AND hurt players' situations.

“College coaches have been able to use transfers to get more experienced players,” Yanders says. “That is a very appealing option for coaches on the ‘chopping block.’ Generally, those hurt the most are high school seniors. Unless you are 6’10 250 or a clear-cut, top-100 player, it is getting tougher. Middling players are having a tougher time getting exposure.”

“For guys like Anton and Trevon, it could be great coming from a power five conference,” Yanders says. “With their experience, they could move up the food change or make a great mid-major splash.” Since discussing with Yanders, Brazile has already committed to Arkansas, who made plenty of noise this year during March Madness.

Yanders says that the scary part of the transfer portal is not always being allowed to return to your current team.

“It has been interesting,” Yanders says. “There could be 2,000 players in the transfer portal this year, and not every player will even make it out. It is all about betting on yourself. Coaches may choose to fill the void you are leaving ‘just in case.’”

Congratulations to Trevon Brazile on finding a fit! Good luck to those players remaining in the portal, as well as all incoming players that are now competing with a larger player pool than ever. College hoops is getting more interesting all the time, and we will always be rooting for our local guys and gals.

Stay tuned to The Basketball Movement Exclusive for continued insight from Yanders and news from around our corner of the world of hoops.