Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. sets SEC record, wants wins next

Razorbacks freshman made SEC history with five straight honors, but says wins matter more than awards.

Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr (5) is interviewed after the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. keeps stacking SEC history like it’s part of the syllabus. Five straight SEC Freshman of the Week awards will do that. Nobody else in league history has done it, which sounds like something worth celebrating.

Acuff isn’t throwing a parade.

Instead, the true freshman keeps circling back to the same thing — wins. Not trophies. Not weekly honors. Not his name popping up in conference record books. Wins.

That might sound like standard coach-speak, but it hits different coming from a player who’s already done something no other freshman in the SEC has managed since the award was created in 1988.

“I just want to keep going,” Acuff said. “Hopefully get more wins.”

That’s the refrain in Fayetteville right now. Personal success is nice. Team success is the goal.

Acuff became the first player in SEC history to win the Freshman of the Week award five consecutive times, joining a short list of just 13 players who’ve earned it at least five times in a single season. None of the others did it week after week without interruption.

History noticed. Acuff shrugged.

The honor came after another productive week on the road, where Acuff averaged 22.5 points over two games. He scored 26 points in a win at Ole Miss, pouring in 20 of those after halftime, while also handing out nine assists. He followed it up with 19 points in a loss at Auburn.

For a true freshman running an SEC offense, those numbers don’t sneak up on anyone. They announce themselves. Acuff admitted the attention still feels surreal.

“It’s definitely like a dream come true,” he said. “But I’m just trying to get wins with my team.”

5⃣ from the three pic.twitter.com/AQMx8bytzA

— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) January 10, 2026

Freshman production, veteran expectations

The Razorbacks have leaned heavily on Acuff, and he’s responded by playing like someone who knows the responsibility that comes with being the ball handler. That doesn’t mean he thinks he’s arrived.

Asked what he wanted to prove this season, Acuff didn’t talk about scoring titles or draft boards. He talked about being dependable.

“I don’t want to be a liability out there,” he said. “I want to be able to compete with my teammates and just show that I can win a little more and be a leader.”

That’s not a small statement for a freshman. Especially one carrying an offense in a league that eats young guards for breakfast.

Acuff said there are still parts of his game that need work, particularly on the defensive end and in awareness situations. He didn’t dodge that reality, even after another week of accolades.

The loss at Auburn stuck with him.

“We had a lot of bad turnovers that led to bad defensive transition,” Acuff said. “We’ve got to watch the film and see what we can fix.”

No blame-shifting. No excuses. Just a freshman already talking like someone responsible for the result.

That mindset explains why the hardware hasn’t gone to his head. Accolades don’t erase mistakes, and they don’t flip losses into wins.

🏀 SEC Freshman of the Week | Jan. 5

🐗 Darius Acuff Jr., @RazorbackMBB#SECMBB | presented by @Allstate pic.twitter.com/pU6oLJLag4

— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) January 12, 2026

Looking ahead without looking back

Acuff turned the conversation forward quickly, shifting focus to Arkansas’ upcoming matchup with South Carolina.

He talked about guard play, defensive discipline, and the need to stay connected as a unit — again, without circling back to his own streak.

That’s become the theme with the Hogs’ freshman star. Individual milestones get acknowledged. Then they get set aside.

Arkansas isn’t asking Acuff to be perfect. It’s asking him to lead, learn, and keep the Razorbacks competitive in a league that doesn’t offer many soft landings.

Five straight SEC Freshman of the Week honors suggest he’s doing plenty right. His own words suggest he knows that’s not the finish line.

Wins are.

Key takeaways

• Darius Acuff Jr. became the first player in SEC history to win five consecutive Freshman of the Week awards
• Despite the historic streak, Acuff consistently emphasizes team wins over personal recognition
• The Arkansas freshman openly acknowledges areas for improvement, particularly on defense and decision-making