Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) drives against High Point Panthers forward Cam'ron Fletcher (11) in the second half during a second-round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

Darius Acuff Jr. cements Arkansas legacy in Round of 32 win over High Point

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Mar 22, 2026 12:12 AM ET

What often defines an athlete's legacy is how they perform in the clutch of big games.

There are few adjectives left to describe how well Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. plays in the clutch after Saturday's NCAA Tournament contest against High Point.

The Razorbacks beat the Panthers 94-88 to advance to the Sweet 16, but the game was in doubt throughout the second half.

Only a pair of heroic plays from Acuff sealed the game and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Razorbacks ever.

Acuff converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put UA up 81-74 with 5:02 to play, but High Point rallied to tie the game at 83 with 3:19 to go.

That was when Acuff, who had 36 points on the night and 23 in the second half, truly took over.

A pair of layups from Acuff put Arkansas up 87-83. Then came the kill shot, a 26-foot three that may as well have been a missile that gave Arkansas a 90-83 lead with just 1:03 on the clock.

KNOCKED DOWN ‼️pic.twitter.com/z2BAzSQc1h
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball (@RazorbackMBB) March 22, 2026

With less than nine ticks left on the clock and the Hogs leading 92-88, Acuff nailed a pair of free throws to finally ice the game and send Arkansas to San Jose, California, for the Sweet 16. Arkansas has now advanced to the Sweet 16 in five of the last six seasons.

"I think it's that kid Darius Acuff," Arkansas head coach John Calipari told TBS when asked what the difference in the game was. "I put it in his hands, and I trust him. What you saw is what he be."

"Winning, that the only thing on my mind," Acuff Jr. said. "It's been a great journey, a lot of learning. I'm going to keep learning."

Darius Acuff Jr. cements Arkansas legacy

Acuff also set the new single-season Arkansas scoring record on Saturday after setting the single-season assist record on Thursday in Arkansas' Round of 64 win over Hawai'i.

Those marks came after Acuff was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, SEC Player of the Year and SEC Tournament MVP after he led the Razorbacks to an SEC title.

His candidacy for a national player of the year award has been debated, but at the very least, he's cemented a lasting legacy at Arkansas and will never have to buy a drink in the Natural State.

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

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