On Saturday evening, the Arkansas basketball program slid into the Sweet 16 for a second straight year with a narrow victory over High Point in the Round of 32 in the ongoing NCAA Tournament. It was another dominant display from star point guard Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 36 points on an efficient 11-22 from the field in the victory, nailing several clutch shots down the stretch to give the Razorbacks the win.
After the game, Arkansas head coach John Calipari spoke on his confidence in the leadership abilities of both Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas.
“They have otherworldly confidence. Both of 'em. They could run for President and believe ‘I could run this country,” said Calipari, per CBS Sports on X, formerly Twitter.
Indeed, leadership has been one area where Acuff Jr. has shown tremendous growth throughout this season, earning the trust and respect of his teammates despite still being a freshman.
Of course, Acuff Jr. also shows up when it matters most in the game itself, which he did once again on Saturday night, nailing a clutch three-pointer to essentially put the game on ice for Arkansas against a feisty High Point team.
Acuff Jr. has been skyrocketing up NBA Draft boards for his efforts this season, and his tutelage under Calipari will certainly help his case, as the Arkansas head man has coached a great number of star NBA point guards, including reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Before he turns his attention to the draft, however, Acuff Jr. will look to help Arkansas advance further into the tournament when they next take the floor next week for the Sweet 16 against an opponent yet to be determined.
