How Razorbacks fared in NBA Combine scrimmages
The NBA Combine is currently being held at the Wintrust Center in Chicago, Illinois, and four Razorbacks are there competing.
Darius Acuff Jr. and Trevon Brazile have their sights set on the NBA Draft, while Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III are testing the waters with a potential return to Arkansas.
The Razorbacks have already gone through measurements and testing on various drills. The scrimmages give them the chance to show their stuff in a live-game setting in front of NBA scouts and executives. The first two scrimmages were held on Wednesday afternoon, and Brazile and Richmond played. Richmond played in the first while Brazile played in the second.
In the first game, Richmond played a total of 20:42. He scored eight points and went 3-for-9 from the field, 1-of-3 from deep, and hit his lone free throw. He also added a rebound and two assists.
Richmond played for Team Adams against Team Carpenter. His team lost 95-84, with only Baba Miller (20 points) and John Blackwell (16 points) scored in double figures.
Both Brazile and Richmond will play in Thursday’s 5-on-5 scrimmage as well.
Brazile scored nine points and went 3-for-5 from the field (0-for-1 from three) and has six rebounds to go along with one block. He went 3-for-4 from the free throw line. His team — Team Rivers — took a 105-99 win over Team Weems. Baylor’s Cameron Carr scored 30 points to lead all scorers, while Tennessee’s Ja’Kobie Gillespie poured in 28.
Other NBA Combine notes
All four Razorbacks performed individual drills during the combine, with things like the shuttle run, vertical jump, lane agility and three-quarter sprint.
Brazile put up the third-best standing vertical jump at 36 inches and his 41.5-inch max vertical leap was fifth. Richmond’s standing vertical was 32.5 inches and his max vertical was 41 inches. Acuff had 31.5 and 36.5, respectively and Thomas had 31.5 and 38 inches.
Acuff and Richmond both ran 3.06-second three-quarter sprint, which were the two-fastest times in the combine. Brazile’s 3.14 seconds was third-highest among forwards.
Richmond’s athleticism in the lane agility drill was shown off, as he ran a 10.23, which was the fastest at the combine. Thomas logged a 11.57-second lane agility drill, while Acuff had a 10.99.
In the shuttle run, Acuff logged 2.93 seconds, Brazile had 2.71, Richmond had 2.82 and Thomas was at 2.97.
Stay-or-go decision looming for Thomas
The primary focal point for Arkansas fans who are tuning into the NBA Combine is the stay-or-go decisions for both Richmond and Thomas. Brazile is out of eligibility and Acuff is projected to be a top five pick in this draft.
Thomas was asked about that point-blank on Wednesday but declined to answer.
”I would just say TBD,” Thomas said, according to college basketball analyst Kevin Sweeney.
The freshman sensation is currently projected between a late first and early second round draft pick. According to Sweeney, Thomas doesn’t have a specific range he needs to hear from NBA teams on whether or not to stay in the draft or return to Arkansas.
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