Retelling what happened in Wednesday’s showdown between the No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks and the No. 25 Alabama Crimson Tide would not be complete without heavily mentioning the exploits of Darius Acuff Jr.
The Arkansas freshman guard had a performance to remember, as he erupted for 49 points on 16-for-27 shooting from the floor and added 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, albeit in a 117-115 double-overtime loss to Alabama at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Despite his usage and the fact that he played 50 minutes, Acuff turned the ball over just once, as the Razorbacks pushed Alabama to the edge.
If what Darius Acuff Jr. did on the court against the Crimson Tide sounds phenomenally rare, it’s because it is.
According to OptaSTATS, the first-year guard is just the second player ever in Division I basketball or the NBA to have at least 45 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, while having 1 or fewer turnovers in a game over the last 30 seasons.
The other guy to pull it off in that span?
Well, just Kobe Bryant.
Darius Acuff Jr. of @RazorbackMBB is the second Division I or NBA player in the last 30 seasons to have a game where he:
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 19, 2026
scored 45+ points
grabbed 5+ rebounds
dished out 5+ assists
had only 1 turnover (or none)
played the entire game
The other was Kobe Bryant on April 10, 2013. pic.twitter.com/Fik6qO9RAf
Although Acuff’s incredible stat line did not factor in a win, it must have captured the attention of NBA scouts.
As for the Razorbacks, they have two full days of rest following that marathon of a matchup against Alabama before taking on the Missouri Tigers on Saturday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.
