According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Arkansas Razorbacks freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. won’t be available on Saturday against the Missouri Tigers for their regular-season closer. Acuff has been battling an ankle injury and is reportedly being rested ahead of the SEC Tournament.
The Hogs are the 20th team in the nation according to the AP Poll.
The ESPN journalist shared the news on X in the following fashion:
“Arkansas star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. will not play against Missouri on Saturday, John Calipari told ESPN’s @SethOnHoops. Acuff has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury, and they want him to rest heading into the SEC Tournament,”
Darius Acuff is Arkansas’ scoring leader, averaging 22.2 points per game, which ranks ninth in the country, and also leads the team in assists with 6.4 per game, which is 17th in the nation.
John Calipari on the Razorbacks’ Chances in March
John Calipari is building on a successful first season in charge of the Hogs and is confident the team can improve on its 2025 Sweet 16 finish in the NCAA Tournament.
Speaking ahead of the regular-season finale against Mizzou, Calipari had this to say about the Hogs’ prospects in the postseason:
“Our team is bonded. We’ve been tested. We’ve improved. Are we athletic? Are we long? Are we skilled? Do we have a will to win? Well, come on, let’s go. This is why we did what we did all year is to get to March, to be able to play like we’re one of those (competitive NCAA Tournament) teams. And so tonight was important that way.
“It’s March, man, if you ain’t excited then you ain’t getting it from me. … This is the fun part of the year for me. I love it. Doesn’t mean you win every game, but it’s March. Everything we’ve done all year has built up to this.”
The Razorbacks take on the Missouri Tigers this Saturday at noon on the road. Mizzou is a 2.5-point favorite, according to DraftKings, but the ESPN game predictor expects Arkansas to win.
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