Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. continues to establish himself as one of the most impactful first-year players in college basketball, emerging as the engine of the Razorbacks’ offense with his scoring, playmaking, and on-court leadership
Third Straight SEC Freshman of the Week Honors
For the third consecutive week, Acuff has been named the SEC Men’s Basketball Freshman of the Week, the league announced on Monday. The honor further cements what has been a remarkable start to his Razorback career and places him among the elite freshmen in the conference and the country.
A 6-foot-2, 180-pound guard from Detroit, Michigan, Acuff delivered the best performance of his young career on Saturday against No. 8 Houston, scoring a career-high 27 points while adding seven assists and five rebounds. It marked his third straight 20-point game and his seventh of the season.
Acuff tied a career high with nine field goals made and set new personal bests at the free-throw line, going 8-of-11. He also continued his impressive playmaking run, recording seven assists, his sixth straight game with at least five assists, averaging 8.0 assists per game over that stretch.
Elite Production and Leadership Fueling the Razorbacks
For the week, Acuff averaged 25.0 points, 8.5 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in a win over Queens and a hard-fought loss to Houston. He posted 17 assists to just four turnovers and shot 55.5% from three-point range (5-of-9), showcasing both efficiency and poise beyond his years.
Perhaps most impressive, Acuff is the only Razorback to score in double figures in all 12 games this season, putting him on the verge of joining Isaiah Joe as one of the best-starting freshmen in program history. Joe scored in double figures in each of his first 13 games at Arkansas.
While the scoring has been eye-catching, Acuff’s playmaking growth has surprised even head coach John Calipari. The freshman has quickly taken on a leadership role, orchestrating the offense with confidence and creativity.
"“He can find everybody,” Calipari said during an appearance on John Rothstein’s show. “He’s throwing skip passes, lobs to the big guys—they’re loving playing with him. He can go get a bucket. That’s something we didn’t always have last year.”"John Calipari
Calipari compared Acuff’s ability to create late-game offense to past elite guards he’s coached, noting Acuff’s “wiggle” and knack for stopping runs by simply going and getting a basket.
A Star in the Making for Arkansas Basketball
Despite the growing accolades, Acuff hasn’t let the praise affect his approach. His maturity and steady rise from the start of the season to now have been noticeable, as he continues to elevate his game week by week.
Arkansas has a star and he’s only a freshman.
If Acuff continues on this trajectory, he has the potential to lead the Razorbacks deep into SEC play and become a difference-maker when postseason basketball arrives. For now, though, he remains focused on the task at hand, taking it one game at a time while quietly building one of the best freshman seasons Arkansas has seen in years.