Yardbarker
x
John Calipari has high praise for Darius Acuff after spectacular performance
Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

John Calipari has high praise for Darius Acuff after spectacular performance vs. LSU

No. 20 Arkansas needed every one of Darius Acuff Jr.'s 31 points to earn a hard-fought win over LSU inside Bud Walton Arena on Saturday. 

Acuff, a freshman guard from Detroit, was the hero for the Razorbacks in their win over their border rival, putting together an incredibly efficient afternoon. He shot 13-19 from the field - including a 4-7 mark from beyond the arc and made an important free throw in the closing seconds to make it a four-point game. 

Arkansas head coach John Calipari had high praise for Acuff after the game.

What John Calipari had to say about Darius Acuff Jr.

"What we did was, we said we're putting it in his hands and trying to space the court a little bit, give him room to go do something," Calipari said in his postgame news conference. "His performance, I'm looking at it like, look, let's just put it in his hands. And he was terrific."

Acuff also dished out six assists in the win, which makes Arkansas (15-5, 5-2 SEC) tied for second in the SEC with Florida and Kentucky. 

Acuff's 31 points were a career high. He's averaging 19.2 points per game and 6.2 assists per game through the first 20 contests of his collegiate career. 

"He's who we go to whenever things are looking dry," Arkansas forward Trevon Brazile said postgame. "He came through again for us tonight like he has all season."

Acuff and Arkansas will go for their third consecutive win in Norman, Oklahoma, on Tuesday against the Oklahoma Sooners. 

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!