Calipari, Brazile and Wagner Will Go To SEC Basketball Tipoff

FAYETTEVILLE – With the basketball season fast approaching, the media will converge in Birmingham for the annual SEC Basketball Tipoff ‘26, presented by Academy Sports & Outdoors. The Arkansas men’s team will be featured on Tuesday (Oct. 14) from 1:35-3:40 pm (CT) with head coach John Calipari, senior Trevon Brazile and junior D.J. Wagner taking part for the Razorbacks.

Naismith Hall of Fame coach John Calipari, who has led six teams to the Final Four, enters his 34th season as a collegiate head coach and second at Arkansas. He is 23 wins from 900 career on-court wins and is on-pace to be the second or third-fastest coach to reach 900 wins in NCAA Division I history.  Of the 32 NCAA Tournaments held during his collegiate coaching career, he has led 24 teams to the NCAA Tournament, including 16 trips to the Sweet 16, 12 appearances to the Elite 8, six Final Four births, three national title games and a national championship. (Note, in 2019-20, Kentucky was 25-6 and won the SEC with a 15-3 record but the NCAA canceled the tournament due to COVID-19.) His 59 NCAA Tournament wins tie Tom Izzo for most among active coaches and fifth-most in NCAA history. Calipari is one of two coaches in NCAA history to take three different programs to the Final Four and just is one of three coaches to lead four different schools to the Sweet 16.

Brazile had a solid 2024-25 campaign but finished the season playing at an elite level. He played in 34 games last season with 13 starts, including each of the last nine contests. The Springfield, Mo., native led the team in total rebounds (184), was second in blocked shots (38) and was second in 3-point percentage (.364). However, over the last nine games, Brazile averaged 11.3 pts and 9.1 rebs with four double-doubles while making 16 of his 24 season 3’s. He is the 17th player in program history to reach 500+ points, 275+ rebounds and 75+ blocks as a Razorback. Among those 17, he has the fewest career games played (66) and started (33). (HogStats).

Wagner emerged as the team leader in the second half of the season and led the Razorbacks on an impressive run that culminated in a Sweet 16 appearance. Wagner was the only Razorback to start all 36 games and he was just one of three Hogs to play all 36 games. He led the team with 131 total assists, led the team in assists 16 times and had at least three assists 26 times (including 13 times with 5-plus assists). Wagner ranked second in the SEC in minutes (34:32) as he played all 20 minutes of a half 10 times and 30-plus minutes 32 times. In fact, his 1,245 total minutes played ranks fifth-best in school history for a season. After Boogie Fland’s injury, Wagner took over full-time at point guard. In those final 18 games, he averaged 34.9 min • 12.2 pts • 4.6 assists • 50-60 FT (83.3%). By comparison, In the first 18 games, he was averaging 34.2 min • 10.1 pts • 2.7 assists • 17-22 FT (773.%).

Prior to SEC Tipoff, Arkansas will hold the Razorback Tip-Off Scrimmage at Hot Springs’ Bank OZK Arena on Sunday (Oct. 12). Tickets are still available at Bank OZK Arena.

Following the Razorback Tip-Off Scrimmage, Arkansas will play two exhibitions, including one at home versus Cincinnati on Oct. 24 (Friday) dubbed the CareSource Invitational – Fayetteville, Supporting Mental Health. Tickets are available at Razorback Ticket Center.

For more­­ information on Arkansas Men’s Basketball, follow @RazorbackMBB on X, Instagram and Facebook.