After a historic season, Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been named SEC Player of the Year and SEC Freshman of the Year by the league’s coaches.
Acuff was also selected to the First Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team. He becomes just the third player in conference history to win both Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year in the same season, joining Kentucky’s Anthony Davis in 2012 and Alabama’s Brandon Miller in 2023.
Acuff is the third Razorback to earn SEC Player of the Year honors from league coaches, joining Corliss Williamson, who won the award in 1994 and 1995, and Bobby Portis in 2015.
The Detroit native leads the SEC in scoring and assists, averaging 22.2 points and 6.4 assists per game. He is also the only player in the NCAA averaging at least 20 points and six assists this season.
Acuff set an SEC record with eight weekly awards during the season, including a record seven SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
Arkansas also had two other players earn conference honors. Billy Richmond III was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team after recording 26 blocks and 33 steals while often guarding the opponent’s top scorer.
Freshman Meleek Thomas earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 15.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Thomas also ranked among the SEC leaders in steals and three-pointers made.
Acuff and Thomas become the 21st and 22nd Razorbacks to earn SEC All-Freshman honors and the third pair of Arkansas teammates to receive the recognition in the same season.
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