SEC coaches name Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile (first team), Devo Davis (second team) to preseason all league teams on Thursday
on 2023-11-03 09:53 AM
By Kevin McPherson
LITTLE ROCK — A few weeks after the media who cover the SEC made their preseason predictions, the league’s coaches did the same on Thursday as they picked sophomore forward Trevon Brazile preseason All SEC first team and senior guard Davonte “Devo” Davis preseason All SEC second team.
The coaches’ projections almost mirrored that of the media, who in mid-October predicted the Razorbacks to finish third in the SEC while also slotting Brazile (first team) and Davis (second team) as preseason All SEC selections.
Arkansas, ranked preseason No. 14 in both the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Top 25 polls and in KenPom.com’s Division 1 ratings, is coming off back-to-back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, including two consecutive Elite Eights in 2020-21 and ’21-22.
Brazile and Davis helped Arkansas to a 2-0 run through its October exhibition-game season, which included an 81-77 overtime win over No. 3 Purdue on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville.
Brazile — referred to last season by Head Hog Eric Musselman as a top 5 player in the SEC — played only nine games in ’22-23 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He averaged 11.8 points and 6.0 rebounds, and he was the team’s leading 3-point shooter at 37.9 percent (11-of-29) at the time. In his eight-plus games played, Brazile led the team in rebounding five times and blocked shots four times. He recorded his first two career double-doubles with 21 points and 12 rebounds against North Dakota State and 13 points and 10 rebounds against South Dakota State.
At the Maui Invitational, Brazile led Arkansas to an overtime win over San Diego State by scoring 20 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Brazile scored 23 points in a win over San Jose State, making 8-of-9 shots from the field.
Davis picked up his second career preseason second team All-SEC honor (he earned the same in ’21-22), and combined with his SEC All Defensive Team selection in ’22-23 it means Davis has garnered all league recognition in the consecutive seasons.
Davis is the only Razorback to play in Arkansas’ back-to-back-to-back Sweet 16 runs. He is coming off an impressive junior year, which included him scoring 25 points to help the Razorbacks defeat No. 1 seed and defending national champion Kansas in last season’s NCAA Tournament, sending the 8th-seeded Hogs to the Sweet 16.
Davis finished the year averaging 10.9 points and 4.4 rebounds while leading the team in 3-pont shooting (34.6% on 47 makes) and ranking second on the team in both assists (87) and steals (48). Davis is just 59 points from reaching the 1,000-point career scoring mark. He’s just the ninth Razorback to reach 900-plus points, 400-plus rebounds, 200-plus assists, and 100-plus steals in a Razorback career.
SEC coaches picks
Preseason First Team All-SEC
Trevon Brazile (Arkansas)
Johni Broome (Auburn)
Riley Kugel (Florida)
Antonio Reeves (Kentucky)
Tolu Smith (Mississippi State)
Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee)
Zakai Ziegler (Tennessee)
Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)
Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Davonte Davis (Arkansas)
Mark Sears (Alabama)
Justin Edwards (Kentucky)
Grant Nelson (Alabama)
Matthew Murrell (OLe Miss)
Josiah-Jordan James (Tennessee)
Tyrece Radford (Texas A&M)
Tyrin Lawrence (Vanderbilt)
SEC media picks
Preseason First Team All-SEC
Grant Nelson (Alabama)
Trevon Brazile (Arkansas)
Johni Broome (Auburn)
Justin Edwards (Kentucky)
Tolu Smith (Mississippi State)
Santiago Vescovi (Tennessee)
Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)
Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Mark Sears (Alabama)
Davonte Davis (Arkansas)
Riley Kugel (Florida)
Antonio Reeves (Kentucky)
Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee)
Preseason SEC Player of the Year
Wade Taylor IV (Texas A&M)
Preseason Predicted Order Of Finish
1. Tennessee
2. Texas A&M
3. Arkansas
4. Kentucky
5. Alabama
6. Auburn
7. Mississippi State
8. Florida
9. Missouri
10. Ole Miss
11. Vanderbilt
12. Georgia
13. LSU
14. South Carolina
(Last updated: 2023-11-03 09:53 AM)