March 4, 2026; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks winger Billy Richmond III (24) and guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) celebrate after the first half against the Texas Longhorns at Bud Walton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Image History-making Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. is back.
Oklahoma may have just begun.
Acuff is expected to return when the No. 17 and third-seeded Razorbacks (23-8) face No. 11 seed Oklahoma in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Sooners (19-14) won their sixth straight game after defeating Texas A&M 83-63 in the second round on Tuesday, falling to eighth place in 10 games following a nine-game losing streak.
“I’ve been coming here for years, and the committee (NCAA Tournament Selection Committee) said, ‘Who is the best at basketball?’” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser said on SEC Network:
“We know Arkansas is waiting, and they’re a great team. ‘Cal’ (coach John Calipari) has them playing at a high level. These guys are really hungry and chasing it right now. It’s not over yet.”
Oklahoma guard Nijel Pack had 20 points before leaving the A&M game after taking head-on contact on a Marcus Hill drive. The play was ruled a Flagrant 1 foul on Hill. Like Acuff, Pack is also expected to play.
“Every team needs a veteran and Nijel is that player for us,” said Derrion Reid, who had 15 points and 10 rebounds.
“Our message is that one thing doesn’t define us. We all stuck to that. It was all about pushing the rock away from us and we did that.”
Acuff, the SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the league’s coaches’ poll, sat out the Razorbacks’ 88-84 overtime win over Missouri last Saturday due to a lingering left ankle injury.
He suffered the injury contesting a loose ball in an 88-75 win over Auburn on February 14, which forced him to wear hiking boots at times.
“The whole plan was to give him some time, get him close to 100 percent, and then leave,” Calipari said.
Acuff leads the SEC in scoring (22.2 ppg) and assists (6.4), and will join Hall of Famer Pete Maravich as the only players in league history to achieve that plateau, according to available records.
Acuff averages at least 20 and six-plus, respectively, among Division I players and leads the league with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.22:1.
“There aren’t many players who can actually play point guard and score,” Calipari said. “And he can do both. If we’re going to do anything in the postseason, he’s got to defend better. Play with a little more energy.”
In Acuff’s absence, freshman Meleek Thomas scored a season-high 30 points and hit five 3-pointers against Missouri. He averages 15.4 points per game and was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team.
Most projections had Arkansas as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“Let’s understand that we are playing for something much bigger than this (SEC) tournament,” Calipari said. “You’re playing to stay a seed and to improve your seed, which means keep winning and keep winning.”
Acuff had 21 points and 10 assists and Thomas had 16 points in the Razorbacks’ 83-79 win over Oklahoma on Jan. 27 in Norman. The Razorbacks shot 55.6 from the field.
The Pack scored 22 points for the Sooners, who had lost seven straight during a nine-game streak before recovering.
– Field level media
