Days before Arkansas was set to face Alabama in a marquee SEC showdown, star guard Darius Acuff Jr. was apparently in a walking boot. It was something that coach John Calipari revealed after the fact when the Razorbacks fell on the road 117-115 in double-overtime.
That didn’t stop Acuff from playing. In fact, during that performance, Acuff had arguably the best individual performance of any player in college basketball this season — especially under the circumstances. Acuff played all 50 minutes (40 minutes regulation and 10 in the overtime periods) and left it all out on the floor.
Acuff scored 49 points, which was the second time a player under Calipari scored at least 40 points. The other time? In 2016, former Kentucky star Malik Monk dropped 47 points against UCLA.
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“He was in a boot for two days and still did that,” Calipari said. “I said, ‘Do you think you might have to miss this game?’ He said, ‘Are you nuts?’ He doesn’t care. Hurt, whatever it is. He was in a boot for two days … There’s not many. And I’ve coached some really good guards over the years, and I’ve had a few this way, but he’s right there with them. I’m just telling you. He’s unique and special, and I would imagine everybody saw it today. But it was a good game.”
Let’s jump into our rankings and get to our CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the 2025-26 college basketball season.
Freshman of the Week: Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the ten most impressive freshmen in college basketball. For the 11th season in a row, CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week, we’ll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.
Acuff, the former No. 5 overall player in the 2025 recruiting cycle by 247Sports, is putting his name in the conversation to be an All-American. The Arkansas star should be the favorite to win SEC Player of the Year, and last week might’ve closed the gap despite Alabama star Labaron Philon Jr. going for 35 points in that game.
Acuff finished with 49 points, five rebounds and five assists in 50 minutes against Alabama. In the following game against Missouri, Acuff scored 20 points and added five assists and four rebounds.
Previous Freshman of the Week winners
Nov. 11: Koa Peat, ArizonaNov. 18: Mikel Brown Jr., LouisvilleNov. 25: Cameron Boozer, DukeDec. 2: Cameron Boozer, DukeDec. 9: Hannes Steinbach, WashingtonDec. 16: AJ Dybantsa, BYUDec. 23: Shelton Henderson, MiamiDec. 30: Ebuka Okorie, StanfordJan. 6: Darius Acuff Jr., ArkansasJan. 13: Braylon Mullins, UConnJan. 20: Cameron Boozer, DukeJan. 27: Keaton Wagler, IllinoisFeb. 3: Bryson Tiller, KansasFeb. 10: Alijah Arenas, USCFeb. 17: Mikel Brown Jr., Louisville
Frosh Watch: Ranking top 10 freshmen
1. Cameron Boozer | F | Duke
Stats: 22.6 PPG | 10.0 RPG | 4.0 APG
Boozer, the National Player of the Year frontrunner, is coming off a strong outing during his toughest challenge yet. Michigan has one of the best frontcourts in the nation, but Boozer still finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. With the win over the Wolverines, the Blue Devils now control their own destiny to potentially earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Last week: 1
2. AJ Dybantsa | F | BYU
Stats: 24.9 PPG | 6.7 RPG | 4.0 APG
Dybantsa has had multiple performances to remember this season. He scored 43 points against Utah. He recorded a triple-double earlier this season against Eastern Washington. Still, last weekend might’ve been his most impressive performance of them all. Dybantsa finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists during a win over Iowa State. Dybantsa has stepped up even more on the offensive end lately since star guard Richie Saunders suffered a season-ending torn ACL. Last week: 2
3. Darryn Peterson | G | Kansas
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 3.9 RPG | 1.6 APG
The hottest topic in college basketball has been the availability (or lack thereof) of Peterson. On Monday against Houston, Peterson logged 30 minutes and scored 14 points on 5 of 14 shooting. Peterson also played 32 mins in Kansas’ loss against Cincinnati last weekend. Last week: 2
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4. Darius Acuff Jr. | G | Arkansas
Stats: 22.2 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 6.2 APG
Acuff is raising his draft stock with how he’s playing as of late. The Arkansas star should be the pick for SEC Player of the Year if the season ended today. The numbers he is putting up on a nightly basis are incredible. Acuff is coming off a 49-point outing against Alabama. He has scored at least 20 points in 11 of Arkansas’ 14 games against SEC competition. Last week: 5
5. Caleb Wilson | F | North Carolina
Stats: 19.8 PPG | 9.4 RPG | 2.7 APG
Wilson will be out for the foreseeable future after fracturing his hand. Wilson has been one of the best first-year players in the sport and has worked himself into the conversation to be a top-five pick this summer. Wilson’s 19.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game lead the Tar Heels. Losing Wilson is a massive deal for UNC, and others will have to step up. Last week: 4
6. Keaton Wagler | G | Illinois
Stats: 18.2 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 4.3 APG
Wagler appeared to suffer a shoulder injury against UCLA last weekend. The good news for him and Illinois is that he was able to return to action. He finished with 19 points in 39 minutes in an overtime loss to UCLA. Wagler hit a go-ahead bucket in overtime, but Illinois was on the wrong side of a buzzer-beating win moments later. Last week: 6
7. Kingston Flemings | G | Houston
Stats: 16.4 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 5.3 APG
Flemings finished with 16 points in a loss against Kansas on Monday. Notably, Flemings passed Rob Williams (456 points) for the most points in a single season scored by a freshman in Houston basketball history. Last week: 5
8. Mikel Brown Jr. | G | Louisville
Stats: 18.6 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 4.9 APG
Brown finished with 24 points in a loss to North Carolina on Monday. In that game against UNC, Brown knocked down six 3-pointers. Brown has scored at least 20 points in four of his last five games. Last week: 8
9. Brayden Burries | G | Arizona
Stats: 15.2 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 2.6 APG
Burries hasn’t been scoring as much as he did during the start of the month, but he can still impact winning regardless. He finished with seven points, four rebounds and two assists during Arizona’s gritty win on the road against Houston last weekend. Last week: 9
10. Ebuka Okorie | G | Stanford
Stats: 22.5 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 3.3 APG
Okorie finished with his first double-double of the season against Cal. He scored 17 points and grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds during his team’s 72-66 loss. Okorie has scored at least 15 points in seven consecutive games. Last week: 10
