Darius Acuff Jr. poised for Arkansas’ best freshman season ever

Darius Acuff Jr. is having a season for the ages in 2025–2026, one any player would envy, especially at just 19. The Arkansas freshman guard is steadily approaching historic territory.

Darius Acuff Jr. on the Verge of Making History Again

With 530 total points in the 2025–26 season, Acuff sits third all-time in scoring by a freshman in Arkansas Razorbacks men's basketball history. The top three currently stand as:

• 540: Scotty Thurman (1992–93)
• 539: Moses Moody (2020–21)
• 530: Darius Acuff Jr. (2025–26)

Eleven points.

That’s all that separates Acuff from the top mark, a record that has stood for more than three decades.

What makes this even more astonishing is the runway still ahead. Arkansas has six regular-season games remaining, plus the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, and the looming spectacle of NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament.

That’s potentially 10 or more games left on the schedule.

Given Acuff’s current scoring tear, 20+ points in each of his last six games, the record could fall as soon as the next outing. At his current pace, he won’t just break the record. He could shatter it.

Acuff’s season isn’t defined by scoring alone. He has already claimed his seventh SEC Freshman of the Week honor, setting a new conference standard and cementing himself as the premier first-year player in the league.

But the conversation has expanded far beyond freshman accolades.

Acuff has entered legitimate SEC Player of the Year contention. He’s firmly in the discussion for All-American honors. And if Arkansas continues its surge, national player of the year buzz won’t feel far-fetched.

For a freshman to not only dominate his class but also compete with upperclassmen across the country speaks to the rare level of impact he’s making.

The Best Freshman Season in Razorback History?

When you stack the numbers, the consistency, the efficiency, and the stage on which he’s delivering, it’s hard to argue against it.

Thurman’s 1992–93 campaign came during a legendary era of Razorback basketball. Moody’s 2020–21 season propelled him into the NBA lottery. Both were special. But Acuff is building something that could surpass them all, especially if this momentum carries into March.

Should Arkansas make a deep postseason run, and should Acuff continue his scoring barrage, we may be witnessing the greatest freshman season in program history.

Under head coach John Calipari, elite guards are nothing new. Calipari has coached NBA stars, All-Americans, and national standouts throughout his career. But if Acuff finishes this season the way he’s trending, he may enter the conversation as one of the best guards, and perhaps one of the best players, Calipari has ever coached.

That’s saying something.

What Darius Acuff Jr. is doing isn’t just impressive, it’s transformational. And by the time this season is over, we may not just be talking about the best freshman in Arkansas history.

We may be talking about the best player in the country.