Hope is buzzing in Fayetteville. After last year’s thrilling run to the NCAA Sweet 16 — where Texas Tech’s feverish comeback clinched a win in overtime to edge out the Hogs by 2 — Razorback Men’s Basketball feels like it’s right on the cusp of something bigger.
Fans are already circling dates on the calendar, wondering how Naismith Hall of Fame coach John Calipari’s second season at the helm will unfold. Will the Hogs push even further this year? Can the mix of returning veterans, new transfers, and head-turning freshmen be the right combination to keep that March magic alive?
Calipari isn’t shying away from the anticipation. “We have put together a great schedule, playing all the teams that reached the Elite 8 last season, and we are really excited about it. But we would not have put that schedule together if we didn’t feel like this team could handle it,” he tells Celebrate Arkansas. That’s the kind of comment that makes Razorback Nation lean forward, because this season isn’t just about keeping momentum alive. It’s about building a new foundation that firmly establishes Arkansas as a consistent powerhouse to keep a close eye on year after year.
With nearly 900 career coaching wins and a reputation as one of the best recruiters in college basketball, fans can’t help but feel hopeful that Calipari’s track record for turning around struggling programs like UMass and Memphis, as well as catapulting Kentucky’s already-storied program to the next level, will make a similar impact at Arkansas. The formidable schedule he mentions is not theater — it is intentional provocation, designed to force growth by meeting top-tier opponents and to give the Razorbacks a chance to prove their mettle regularly.
What makes this season different for both the players and the coaching staff is an uncommon mix of continuity and ambition. “We have four guys returning, which is rare in this era of college sports,” Calipari reveals. Senior Trevon Brazile and junior D.J. Wagner led the team last year in rebounds and assists, respectively, both averaging more than 11 points by the season’s end, while sophomores Billy Richmond, III and Karter Knox are expected to build on the electric energy they displayed in their first year. “Each of the four have been playing at a high level this preseason,” Calipari shares. Add to that big transfers with a veteran mentality like Nick Pringle and Malique Ewin, and a newcomer like Isaiah Sealy who carries volume and explosiveness, and the balance tilts toward serious depth. “Overall, this group is long and athletic, they push each other in practices and drills, and are just fun to coach. But mostly, they genuinely like each other.”
That kind of unity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built through sweat and long practices, through quiet leadership in the locker room, and through players who are willing to take responsibility for more than just their own stat line. Among the roster’s newcomers, two faces are impossible to miss: Darius Acuff, Jr. and Meleek Thomas. Both arrive as five-star recruits, both bring national accolades that usually land players at blue-blood programs, and both chose Arkansas as the place where they want to grow.
It’s hard to overstate how big of a deal that is. Michigan native 18-year-old Acuff steps onto the college stage as one of the most decorated point guards in the country — Allen Iverson National Player of the Year, MVP at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup, gold medalist with Team USA, and a McDonald’s All-American distinction. Thomas bring his own remarkable résumé: the 19-year-old from Pittsburgh earned his own All-American jersey this spring after putting up standout numbers in the competitive proving ground of the Atlanta-based Overtime Elite league, as well as leading Lincoln Park to back-to-back state championships in Pennsylvania where he scored 1,750 points over three years.
As they ready for their debut season in Bud Walton Arena, both guards point to their time in specialized programs — OTE for Thomas and IMG Academy for Acuff — as preparing them for the level of professionalism college basketball demands. They know expectations are high, but each is focused on proving his value to a roster already stacked with talent. “I don’t think I’ve ever played with this many great players before on a full team, like, my own team,” Acuff shares. It’s powerful motivation, he admits, to keep his game sharp, stay committed in the gym, and pull from the hometown mentality that shaped his game growing up: toughness. “We breed that in Detroit. You have to be tough where we’re from, or nobody is going to respect you. You have to earn your respect. You can’t go out there being a little boy, basically; you have to prove yourself.”
“If you get to college and you don’t move like you want to be a pro, then you’re just going to sit in college,” Thomas agrees. “I feel like my journey molded me and taught me staying consistent and getting out of my comfort level. Nothing but improvement.” Right now, he’s focused on turning those lessons into habits: reading the floor more deliberately, trusting himself to take the harder shot, and making smarter decisions under pressure. “Slowing my mind down, but not slowing my game down. Thinking before I do a lot more. Because in high school, you can just react, and then you counter or whatever next move will cover up for that. The game is more sped up. But in college, it’s more physical. You got to be more precise with what you do.”
That unwavering work ethic keeps both guards accountable to their own high standards, but also feeds into a team culture embodying the values Calipari is intent on cementing in Fayetteville. “First, both players have a history of winning and being the leader on those teams. Talent is one thing, but the ability to lead and win is something you can’t teach,” Coach Cal attests. “Also, last year, they played against the best of the best and took their games to an even higher level. We thought during the recruiting process they would be tough-minded and would love to compete. So far, they are proving that to be the case.” Including against each other.
The future Razorbacks first crossed paths at the McDonald’s All-American Game this spring, where 24 of the country’s most highly recruited graduating seniors faced off after being selected from more than 700 nominees. Even in that all-star setting, it was clear Darius and Meleek were each a force to be reckoned with. Acuff came in as the No. 1 point guard and No. 5 player of the 2025 class, while Thomas ranked among the top 15 overall, standing out as the No. 3 shooting guard of 2025. Those few days together offered a chance to test each other’s skills and instincts, laying the groundwork for a rapport that blends mutual respect with a healthy dose of friendly competitiveness. “Two great players going at it always makes you better. Playing defense against Meleek, it gets me amped up!” Acuff says with a laugh. “Seeing him score, I’m like, ‘Oh, I’m about to do that now.’ That’s with everybody on our team, though. We’re all competitive.”
The combination of a playing style that fits his game and a program that emphasized care for his family are what ultimately won Meleek over. “Everybody’s showing you love when you get recruited. But then, you’re talking about being there for my family members, making sure they’re taken care of … the real love for myself and my family meant a lot.” Acuff connected immediately with Coach Calipari, sensing a mentor who would push him honestly while helping him grow. It was an easy decision after that, he admits. “He already felt like my coach. He wasn’t just telling me what I was doing right when he was recruiting me. Nah, he was mostly giving me points on what I was doing wrong. That’s big for me; I want a coach who will actually coach me.”
That kind of straightforward guidance was familiar territory for Acuff, who grew up with his father serving as both coach and constant sounding board. Five uncles and a lot of cousins often kept Acuff surrounded by familiar faces in the gym and on the court, always led by his former-D1-player father pushing him to greatness. “My dad was training me every day. We go everywhere together. I always tell people he’s like one of my friends.” Thomas echoes the feeling, listing family member after family member who influenced not only his game, but his drive, his passion, and the belief in himself his support system helped build. “They come from toughness. They come from gettin’ it where there was never nothing,” he says of the perseverance that raised him. “I took everything from every single one of them and made it into my own person. Without my family, I wouldn’t be who I am.”
It’s no surprise, then, that both guards now carry that same standard of accountability into their Razorback locker room. The foundation their families built — equal parts discipline, loyalty, and toughness — mirrors the chemistry already developing between teammates. “Being connected off the court is going to take you a long way on the court,” Thomas offers. “Then in practice, really making sure I’m pushing him, steady being in his ear, him also being in my ear helping me through what I need, making sure he’s not letting up — trying to help push him to his max ability. Because I want to see him get better, just like he wants to see me get better.”
Thomas and Acuff know that their presence on this roster represents more than personal milestones. It reflects years of family investment, long hours in the gym, and lessons that will outlast any final score. And as their voices blend with those of upperclassmen and transfers, Razorback Nation gets to witness not only the growth of players, but of a culture. For his part, Darius leans into consistency: “Staying true to what I’ve been doing my whole life. Stay to myself, practice, just chilling, listening to music, staying in the gym, and playing basketball.” Perspective keeps Meleek similarly grounded as he thinks back on the drive that got him here. “I’m really living in what I used to dream of. So, I’ve got to keep going because I’m doing it for myself and nobody else. That push for my younger self and actually living them steps and living the moments, this is really what I’m doing it for, because I’m reaping all of the benefits and everybody else will, also.”
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