Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. was putting up points as the West Region’s No. 4-seeded Razorbacks held on to defeat the No. 13-seeded Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors, 97-78, on Thursday at the Moda Center in Portland, Oregon.
It was a full team effort for Arkansas head coach John Calipari’s team, but Acuff showed out in the game.
Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr. Puts Up Big Game
Acuff scored 24 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and dished out 7 assists in 36 minutes. The Razorbacks improved their overall record to 27-8 since the start of the regular season. When going up against Hawai’i, Acuff showed off his ability to drive to the basket consistently.
In this clip from the NCAA March Madness’ account on X, Acuff takes the ball near the mid-court line. Then, he moves to his left, finds a space, and roars to the basket for a solid layup.
Darius Acuff making tough finishes look simple 🤷♂️#MarchMadness @RazorbackMBB pic.twitter.com/Y2W7zQhdzm
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 19, 2026
Entering Thursday’s West Region first-round game, Acuff was averaging 22.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game for the Razorbacks. He also was shooting 48.6% from the floor and 44.5% from beyond the 3-point arc.
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In 33 games for Arkansas, Acuff, a freshman out of Detroit, is shooting 80.4% from the free-throw line.
Last Sunday, Acuff put on a highlight-reel effort as Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt, 86-75, to win the SEC Tournament Championship. Acuff finished with 30 points against the Commodores, while also grabbing 3 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists. This was just another stellar game from Acuff, who is viewed as an NBA Draft prospect.
In the SEC Tournament quarterfinal against Oklahoma, which Arkansas won 82-79, Acuff scored 37 points while adding 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals. In the SEC Tournament semifinal game against Ole Miss, which the Razorbacks also won by a 93-90 score in overtime, Acuff poured in 24 points, grabbed 5 rebounds, and had 7 assists.
With the Razorbacks now moving on in the NCAA Men’s Tournament, Acuff will be looked upon to deliver even more for Calipari and his teammates. During the 2025-26 college basketball regular season, the Razorbacks finished in second place in the SEC standings behind the Florida Gators.
But Acuff has consistently shown an ability to score, whether it’s from driving into the lane or hitting jumpers. It’s that type of play that makes Acuff a player worth watching as March Madness hits in high gear.
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Can Acuff repeat his performance in Arkansas’ second-round game in the West Region? The Razorbacks’ fan base will be watching him very closely.
Of course, Calipari has some previous experience taking teams to the Final Four and NCAA Championship Game. It remains to be seen if Acuff can help Calipari get to the tournament’s highest tier.
