Arkansas Freshmen Duo Earns High Praise from John Calipari

Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas led the Razorbacks to the Sweet Sixteen, drawing lofty comparisons from the Kentucky coach.

Mar. 22, 2026 at 7:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

Arkansas survived a scare from High Point in the NCAA Tournament's second round, with freshmen guards Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas leading the way. Acuff had a historic 36-point performance, while Thomas added 19 points, including a crucial late three-pointer. Kentucky coach John Calipari heaped praise on the young duo, saying they have "otherworldly confidence" and could "run for president" due to their self-belief and ability to empower each other on the court.

Why it matters

Calipari is renowned for developing elite college guards, so his high praise of Acuff and Thomas suggests the Arkansas freshmen could be a special pairing. Their ability to thrive together as scorers while also sharing the ball has silenced doubts about whether they could coexist, and their leadership in high-pressure tournament situations bodes well for Arkansas' Sweet Sixteen run.

The details

Acuff and Thomas combined for 55 of Arkansas' 94 points in the win over High Point, with Acuff's 36 points being the second-most by a true freshman in NCAA tournament history. Calipari highlighted how the two guards have empowered each other, with them telling one another to "keep playing" even when the coach gets on them, and sometimes telling each other to "don't even listen to him."

  • Arkansas defeated High Point 94-88 on Saturday, March 22, 2026 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Portland, Oregon.
  • The win sent Arkansas to the Sweet Sixteen for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

The players

Darius Acuff Jr.

The SEC Player of the Year, Acuff had a historic 36-point performance in Arkansas' second-round NCAA Tournament win, the second-most by a true freshman in tournament history.

Meleek Thomas

Thomas followed Acuff with 19 points of his own and hit a big three-pointer late to help Arkansas secure the victory over High Point.

John Calipari

The head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, Calipari is renowned for developing elite college guards and heaped high praise on the Arkansas freshman duo of Acuff and Thomas.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“I want you to look at these two closely, okay. They have otherworldly confidence, both of them. They 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' or 'let's do that.' They're being empowered.”

— John Calipari, Head Coach, Kentucky Wildcats

“They're playing off of one another. All they have done is help each other. People are 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. So now if he has it going, he's the one passing it to him. Keep shooting. If I get on him, he's telling him, 'Just keep playing.' If I get on him, he's telling him, 'Just keep playing.' Sometimes they're saying, 'Don't even listen to him.'”

— John Calipari, Head Coach, Kentucky Wildcats

What’s next

Arkansas will play in the Sweet Sixteen next weekend against either No. 1 seed Arizona or No. 9 seed Utah State.

The takeaway

The performance of Arkansas' freshman backcourt duo of Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, and the high praise they've received from Kentucky's John Calipari, suggests the Razorbacks have a special pairing that could lead them on a deep NCAA Tournament run. Their ability to thrive together as scorers while also empowering each other has silenced doubts and bodes well for Arkansas' future.