Things could have ended up looking very different for John Calipari’s Arkansas had it not been for the heroics of Darius Acuff and Maleek Thomas, who played a brilliant second fiddle role and yet again, managed to save the Razorbacks’ skin in a game that was very close to tilting the other way.

Acuff finished off his day with a game-high 36 points, the second most by a freshman in NCAA Tournament history, impressing the Arkansas coach beyond measure, and Maleek, too, came in clutch as the supporting hero playing his role to perfection.

Calipari was incredibly proud of his players and gave a bold verdict. “They (Acuff Jr. and Thomas) could run for President and believe ‘I could run this country,’ because that’s how they think. I like that they’re starting to talk in huddles about let’s do this, let’s do that. They’re being empowered. I’m trying to get Maleek Thomas to catch and shoot it. Quit bouncing it and sidestep, just shoot. So the last one he just caught and shot,” he declared.

“I mean, he’s one of the best scorers in the country. He scores differently, just like him. And they’re playing off of one another, and all they’ve done is help each other. People were like, ‘How are you going to get these two to play together?’ They’re both good young people with good hearts, and they care about each other,” said Calipari about Acuff and Maleek Thomas, who played a great supporting role with his 19 pts.

For a moment, many thought it was the end of the road for Calipari’s Arkansas. The underdog, High Point, was about to snatch an upset win at the Moda Center as the Panthers looked determined to get the job done, going toe to toe with Arkansas. The teams traded the lead, and that made the whole encounter that much more thrilling.

Anything could have happened at that point had Darius Acuff not done what he did. Acuff hit 11-13 from FG, 3-of-6 on 3-pointers, and 11-of-13 from FT to cap off a memorable night. Maleek Thomas (19 pts), too, picked up where Acuff left off, and the duo ensured that Calipari crossed the finish line or else the team’s defensive tardiness would have cost them big time against an up-and-coming Panthers

So how far does Arkansas go from here?

Acuff Will Decide Arkansas’ Fate in The Tournament

“In Darius Acuff we trust,” yes, that should now be the motto of the Razorbacks. The freshman is doing things that even mature players find hard to reproduce, and that is what must feel very comforting for a coach, and Calipari acknowledges that.

“We put it in his hands, and I trust him, and the team trusts him,” Calipari said on TNT after the second-round win against an upset-minded High Point team.

How can you not? If you do it once or twice, it can still be regarded as a fluke, but the level of consistency that this young star is showing is going beyond excellent. Take a glance at his point tally from the last 6 games – 36, 24, 30, 24, 37, and 28, which clearly shows how he is peaking at the right time.

Arkansas’ defense was already finding it hard to keep the encroaching Panthers’ attack at bay, and Rob Martin (30 pts) and Cam’Ron Fletcher (25 pts) were torching the defense, easily breaking in and creating mayhem.

Thankfully, now Arkansas can rest easy knowing that the danger has been avoided. So now the Razorbacks have yet another Round of 16 game to look forward to, and it has all been made possible because of the heroic efforts of Acuff and Co.

But there’s still some work left to do, and the team knows it. Acuff, who is also a top 2026 draft contender, knows that the deeper they run now, the better his chances are to become the top pick. An NCAA title now would be the icing on the cake for the Arkansas freshman, and that will be his next target.