Wednesday was a tough night for No. 20 Arkansas.
It’s all relative of course. The Razorbacks are 19–7 and 9–4 in the SEC, even after losing a 117–115 double overtime heartbreaker on the road at No. 25 Alabama.
But a tough loss is a tough loss nonetheless. It’s especially sour when spoiling an incredible performance from future NBA lottery pick Darius Acuff, who scored 49 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists in the defeat.
Razorbacks coach John Calipari lamented wasting such a great game from his star player, and revealed that Acuff was dealing with a foot injury heading into the ranked contest.
“He was in a boot for two days and still did that. I said, ‘You think you might have to miss this game?’ And he said, ‘Are you nuts?’ He doesn’t care [if he’s] hurt, whatever it is. He was in a boot for two days.”
John Calipari reveals postgame that Darius Acuff was in a walking boot for two days prior to tonight's 49-point effort 😳
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 19, 2026
"I said, you think you might have to miss this game? And Darius said, 'Are you nuts?'"
(🎥: @HawgBeat) pic.twitter.com/s0KvrAdegu
Of course, the natural line can be drawn between Calipari’s comments and those of Kansas coach Bill Self, who was visibly frustrated at the lack of start-to-finish availability from his star Darryn Peterson on Wednesday. Peterson played just 19 minutes in the Jayhawks’ comfortable win over Oklahoma State, scoring 23 points in the process. The Jayhawks star asked out of the game in the second half due to cramping.
As for Arkansas, the Razorbacks will look to bounce back on Saturday at home against Missouri.
More College Basketball on Sports Illustrated
- Darryn Peterson: All the Injuries That Have Slowed the Kansas Star This Season
- What Is 'Wins Above Bubble?' Explaining the NCAA's New Favorite Metric
- NCAA Executive Says Basketball Tournament Expansion Is on Hold Through March Madness
- Men’s Basketball State of the Bubble: Stock Up on Georgia, Stock Down on UCLA
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Darius Acuff Was Fresh Out of a Walking Boot When He Scored 49 Points in 2OT Loss to Alabama.
