Darius Acuff Jr. the best CBB guard Calipari has coached

Arkansas Razorback guard Darius Acuff Jr. David Leong-Imagn Images

Best college guard John Calipari has coached?: Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. deserves high praise after 49-point performance

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Feb 18, 2026 10:53 PM ET

Arkansas Razorbacks head coach John Calipari has coached many elite guards throughout his 34-year collegiate coaching career.

Former Kentucky Wildcats star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (now with the Oklahoma City Thunder) and former Memphis Tigers/Chicago Bulls standout Derrick Rose immediately come to mind. Razorbacks freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. may one day find himself in similar company.

Like Rose and Gilgeous-Alexander, he owns a deep offensive bag. He showcased it in a stellar performance against the Alabama Crimson Tide on Wednesday night.

Darius Acuff Jr. caught fire against Alabama

Acuff scored a season-high 49 points on 16-of-27 shooting from the field, grabbed five rebounds and logged five assists in a 117-115 double overtime loss to the Crimson Tide. Many of his buckets came in the first half when he netted 22 points in 20 minutes.

Freshman Darius Acuff with one of the best performances we've seen all season

49 PTS | 16-27 FG | 6-10 3PT | 5 REB | 5 AST | 50 MINS pic.twitter.com/guNnS1XBPe
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) February 19, 2026

The loss to the Crimson Tide (19-7, 9-4 SEC) snapped a three-game winning streak for the Razorbacks (19-7, 9-4 SEC). Acuff's outstanding night overshadowed that.

It had the guard earning major props on social media. ESPN Analyst/ former Boston Celtics center Kendrick Perkins called Acuff the "best college guard Calipari has ever coached" on X.

He's certainly one of the best scorers. Entering Wednesday night, Acuff was averaging 21.2 points per game (No. 14 in the country) on a remarkable 50.3% shooting from the field. Alexander logged 14.4 PPG on 48.5% shooting in his one season for Kentucky (2017-18). Rose tallied 14.9 PPG on 47.7% shooting in his one season for Memphis (2007-08).

Both Calipari products, of course, went on to have successful NBA careers. Gilgeous-Alexander won league MVP and his first championship last season. Rose captured 2010-11 league MVP with the Bulls.

Acuff has plenty more work to do before he reaches that level. But his floor remains that of a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Tankathon has the Milwaukee Bucks selecting him with pick No. 9 in its updated mock.

Calipari is already a proven developer of star floor generals. Acuff seems poised to strengthen the coach's track record.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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