Mizzou to Face Arkansas Without Darius Acuff Jr. in Regular Season Finale

The Tigers won't have to worry about a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Arkansas' roster.

Feb 28, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots the ball against the Florida Gators during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

Star Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. will not be available against Missouri on Saturday, per Pete Thamel. Acuff is physically able to play, according to Thamel, but the Razorbacks are holding him out for future games to maintain his health.

NEWS: Arkansas star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. will not play against Missouri on Saturday, John Calipari told ESPN's @SethOnHoops. Acuff has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury, and they want him to rest heading into the SEC Tournament. pic.twitter.com/Djsw19TtfO

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) March 6, 2026

Acuff has been one of the best true freshmen in the country this year, along with one of the best players in the Southeastern Conference. He has a solid shot of winning SEC player of the year because of his per-game stats, averaging 22.2 points, three rebounds and 6.4 assists per game on 49.3 percent shooting and 43.7 percent from the perimeter.

He had a solid performance in Arkansas' first meeting against the Tigers, recording 20 points, four rebounds and five assists on 36.4 percent shooting. The most notable performance of his freshman season came against Alabama, the game before their first meeting with the Tigers, where he scored 49 points on 59.3 percent shooting.

Arkansas not having Acuff will be a difference maker for a variety of reasons. He's the ninth-leading scorer in the county and is the leading scorer in the SEC, meaning the Razorbacks will be down a prolific scorer. In general, Acuff is a composed and refined player, especially for a true freshman.

"He's just really, really good, well-rounded player," senior Missouri forward Mark Mitchell said. "I think his composure for a freshman, especially for a freshman guard, is really good. He has no weaknesses in this game."

Missouri head coach Dennis Gates had high praise for the freshman who will no longer play in Missouri's Senior Day game. He even went as far as to say that Acuff reminded him of a certain former NBA player who will likely go down as a legend of the game.

"I mentioned it once we played, I said this kid is like Chris Paul, and Chris Paul had a wonderful career in the NBA, (a) Hall of Fame career, and that's the journey I'm sure Darius Acuff will be on, obviously, pending all injuries and circumstances that he makes it to that point in his career," Gates told the media on Friday.

Missouri will still have tough players to handle on Arkansas' roster, like other freshman guard Meleek Thomas, forward Trevon Brazile and sophomore guard Billy Richmond, who's been on a notable hot streak as of late.

The Tigers and Razorbacks tip off at 11 a.m. on Saturday at Mizzou Arena, which is the final game for both teams in the regular season.