Jay Bilas says Darius Acuff Jr. can carry Arkansas to national championship
By David Wasson
Published:
It is time for Darius Acuff Jr.’s turn on the big stage: The 2026 NCAA Tournament.
Acuff, who poured in 30 points to help lead Arkansas to the SEC Tournament championship Sunday, will be one of the superstars to watch throughout the Big Dance – starting when the fourth-seeded Razorbacks take on 13th-seeded Hawaii in a West Regional first-round game Thursday.
The newly-minted SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year, Acuff is eighth in the nation scoring 22.7 points per game and has helped Arkansas win five straight and to its first SEC Tournament crown.
After the Arkansas-Hawaii matchup was announced, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said that Acuff is one of the few players in the country that can carry a team all the way to a national title.
“Who is the guy that can put a team on his back and carry his team to a national championship,” Bilas asked on College GameDay. “Early in the season people thought ‘maybe it is Darryn Peterson at Kansas’. It’s Darius Acuff, Jr. He’s the one. If there is anyone, it is him.”
Acuff shined in the SEC Tournament, scoring 37 points to lead the Hogs to an 82-79 victory over Oklahoma in the quarterfinals, then dropped 24 points in a 93-90 overtime win against Ole Miss in the semifinals. And on Sunday, Acuff went off for 30 points and 11 assists against Vanderbilt.
Will Acuff lead Arkansas to a national title? Kalshi is taking action on predictions!
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
