What often defines an athlete’s legacy is how they perform in the clutch of big games.
There are few adjectives left to describe how well Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. plays in the clutch after Saturday’s NCAA Tournament contest against High Point.
The Razorbacks beat the Panthers 94-88 to advance to the Sweet 16, but the game was in doubt throughout the second half.
Only a pair of heroic plays from Acuff sealed the game and cemented his legacy as one of the greatest Razorbacks ever.
Acuff converted an old-fashioned three-point play to put UA up 81-74 with 5:02 to play, but High Point rallied to tie the game at 83 with 3:19 to go.
That was when Acuff, who had 36 points on the night and 23 in the second half, truly took over.
A pair of layups from Acuff put Arkansas up 87-83. Then came the kill shot, a 26-foot three that may as well have been a missile that gave Arkansas a 90-83 lead with just 1:03 on the clock.
