NBA Draft: Arkansas Freshman Duo Leads Razorbacks Past Samford

The Arkansas Razorbacks picked up their third win of the season on Friday night.

While head coach John Calipari's team may have played closer with Samford than many observers expected heading into the game, the Razorbacks still came away with a 79-75 win, improving to 3-1 on the season. The No. 21-ranked team in the nation was led by a pair of freshman guards who have the potential to be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft.

The duo has already turned heads to start the 2025-26 campaign, and continued to garner attention with another impressive performance on Friday.

Darius Acuff Jr. led all scorers with 20 points in the win, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. The former five-star prospect added 5 assists and 3 rebounds, turning the ball over twice in 31 minutes on the floor.

The talented guard attacked Samford in transition throughout the contest, getting to the rim with ease and finishing well at the basket.

In his first four NCAA games, Acuff is averaging 19.8 points, 4.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 50% from the field and 41.7% from beyond the arc on 6 attempts per contest. Coming out of high school, Acuff was rated the No. 5 overall player and No. 1 point guard in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports.

With good production from the perimeter and the potential to be a weapon in transition, Acuff could be a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, especially with a big season against SEC competition. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, Acuff's size could be a concern, but the nifty guard has enough scoring and playmaking prowess to makeup for any worries about his height.

Alongside Acuff, fellow true freshman Meleek Thomas had another solid performance. In Arkansas' win against Samford, Thomas logged 17 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block while shooting 5-of-13 from the field and 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.

In four games, Thomas is averaging 17.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting 38.3% from the field and 32.4% from beyond the arc on more than 8 attempts per game.

Thomas was rated the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 3 shooting guard in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, the talented wing could also earn a spot in the top 30 picks of the 2026 draft if he continues to have a solid season

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