Darius Acuff Jr. shines again, drops 36 to advance Arkansas to Sweet 16
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Darius Acuff Jr. has scored 60 points through his first 2 NCAA Tournament games, and literally nobody is surprised. After scoring a cool 24 points in Arkansas’ Round 1 win over Hawaii, Acuff exploded for 36 points in a hard-fought win over High Point, 92-86.
Not unlike other great Acuff performances, the star freshman saved his best stuff for the final few minutes of the game. When asked on the court postgame what (or who) made the difference down the stretch for Arkansas, HC John Calipari gave a perfect answer. “I think it’s that kid Darius Acuff.”
The Panthers gave Arkansas everything they had and maybe a little more after upsetting Wisconsin in Round 1. Led by Rob Martin, High Point kept the game within 5 points throughout most of the final 5 minutes after a back-and-forth start to the second half.
The difference really was Acuff, who hit this shot to finally put the Panthers to bed. This was after a few other clutch buckets just seconds before, too:
Malique Ewin, Billy Richmond and Meleek Thomas all deserve a nod as well. Ewin and Richmond were forces on the glass, combining to snag 22 rebounds and 29 points. Thomas, another freshman star, scored the second-most points for Arkansas behind Acuff, a strong 8-16 from the field (3-5 from range) for 19 points.
Up next, Arkansas will square off in the Sweet 16 against the winner of Arizona vs. Utah State.
Can the Razorbacks reach the Final Four? Here’s the latest look at the odds, via Kalshi:
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
