Arkansas star freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury for much of the season and sat out last game in the Razorbacks' overtime win at Missouri.
The Razorbacks (23-8) are enjoying a terrific season that has included wins over Texas Tech, Vanderbilt, Louisville, and Tennessee in John Calipari's second season.
Calipari was known for producing NBA-ready freshmen at Kentucky and it looks like he's continuing the trend with Arkansas.
Acuff Jr. has been the team's MVP, averaging an SEC-leading 22.2 points per game, 6.4 assists per game, and he's shooting 43.7% from deep on 5.6 attempts per game.
The Detroit native has a chance of going top-five in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft, and he could continue to raise his stock with a good March Madness outing.
Let's take a look at where he stands in his recovery and when he could potentially return to the court below.
When could Darius Acuff Jr. return to the court?
The ankle injury for Acuff Jr. doesn't seem too serious. Arkansas had already locked up a double-bye at the SEC Tournament going into the Missouri game, so there was no real point to risk him aggravating it even more.
With the double-bye, the Razorbacks don't play until Friday, March 13th, which gives Acuff Jr. some time to recover. Expect the dynamic guard to return and be full go for the SEC tournament when its Arkansas' time to play.
