Five-star guard Darius Acuff Jr. dominated the college basketball scene, leading Arkansas to a successful 2025-26 season that included winning the SEC tournament championship and reaching the Sweet 16, with wins over Hawaii and High Point.
However, great things come to an end for the 6-foot-3 Detroit native as his heroic performances for the Razorbacks conclude in disappointment. The John Calipari-coached team lost to a more balanced and deeper Arizona Wildcats team, 109-88, on Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinals at SAP Center in San Jose, California.
How Darius Acuff Jr. Performed Against the Arizona Wildcats
Acuff finished with 28 points in 37 minutes for Arkansas, which was dominated from tipoff by a more determined Arizona team. The freshman guard shot 8-of-19 from the field, including 1-of-5 from the 3-point line.
He made 11 of 14 free throws and attempted to rally the Razorbacks after the Wildcats built a double-digit lead. Tommy Lloyd’s team, however, responded to every Arkansas rally in the second half.
Acuff was shadowed from the start but managed to score 11 points in the first half. He made 3 shots from the field, including a 3-pointer from the corner. He made 4 free throws for the Razorbacks, but the Wildcats built a double-digit lead in the first 20 minutes of the game.
By the second half, it was make or break for the freshman sensation, who once dropped 49 points in a 117-115 double-overtime loss to Alabama in the regular season. He tried to carry the entire Arkansas team on his shoulders intentionally.
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Arizona’s offense remained too strong to stop, with Brayden Burries, Koa Peat, Ivan Kharchenkov, Motiejus Krivas, and Tobe Awaka helping Jaden Bradley overpower the Razorbacks.
The guard recorded 14 points and 5 assists. However, the lead was too large for Arkansas to overcome, and the margin grew to over 20 points.
Meleek Thomas scored 17 points to support Acuff, and Billy Richmond III added 13 for the Razorbacks, who shot 48% from the field but struggled outside, missing 18 of 23 3-pointers.
Worse, their defense allowed six Arizona players to score in double figures, with Burries leading the Wildcats with 23 points, while Peat contributed 21. Kharchenkov scored 15 points, and Krivas, Bradley, and Awaka each added 14 for the Wildcats, who are set to face No. 2 seed Purdue in the Elite Eight.
Acuff had an impressive NCAA Tournament, scoring 88 points with an average of 29.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. He played an average of 35.7 minutes for the Razorbacks, shot 46.7% from the field, including 37.5% from beyond the arc, and made 83.9% of his free throws.
If the Sweet 16 was his last game in college basketball, Calipari and Arkansas will surely miss the sensational guard who carried the entire team on his shoulders and performed to his full potential.
