Texas Faces Wooden Award Candidate Acuff Jr. in Matchup with Arkansas

Longhorns look to slow down SEC's leading scorer as they travel to Fayetteville

Mar. 4, 2026 at 3:12pm

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The Texas Longhorns will face a tough test on the road as they take on Arkansas and Wooden Award candidate Darius Acuff Jr. Acuff, a freshman sensation, leads the SEC in scoring, assists, and minutes played. The Longhorns have already faced several national player of the year candidates this season and will need to find a way to slow down Acuff's prolific scoring if they want to pick up another Quadrant 1 win.

Why it matters

This matchup features two of the top teams in the SEC, with Arkansas currently ranked 20th/19th in the country. A win over the Razorbacks would be a big boost for Texas' NCAA Tournament resume as they look to secure an at-large bid. Acuff's performance will also be closely watched as he makes his case for national player of the year honors.

The details

Acuff, a freshman out of IMG Academy originally from Detroit, is averaging 22.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game this season. He's shooting an impressive 49.1% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 79.3% from the free throw line. Acuff has not been held to single digits in scoring all year and has more games with 22+ points (12) than 19 or fewer (10). In SEC play, he's averaging 24.6 points per game on almost 18 field goal attempts per night.

  • The game will tip off at 6 p.m. Central on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

The players

Darius Acuff Jr.

A freshman guard for the Arkansas Razorbacks, Acuff is a Wooden Award candidate who leads the SEC in scoring, assists, and minutes played this season.

Tramon Mark

A graduate guard for the Texas Longhorns, Mark has joined an exclusive club of just two active Division I players to reach career totals of 1,800 points, 600 rebounds, 300 assists, and 150 steals.

Dailyn Swain

A junior guard/forward for the Texas Longhorns, Swain has recorded seven double-doubles this season, including five in SEC play.

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What’s next

The Longhorns will need to find a way to slow down Acuff's scoring if they want to pick up a key Quadrant 1 win on the road against the 20th/19th-ranked Razorbacks.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of the SEC's top teams features a potential future NBA lottery pick in Acuff, who has emerged as one of the nation's most dynamic scorers as a freshman. Texas will have its hands full trying to contain him, but a win over Arkansas would be a major boost to the Longhorns' NCAA Tournament hopes.