Acuff Named Finalist for Wooden Award

March 7, 2026

FAYETTEVILLE – Arkansas freshman Darius Acuff Jr. was named to the 2026 Men’s National Ballot for the John R. Wooden Award, presented by Principal, by The Los Angeles Athletic Club.

Selected by the Wooden Award National Advisory Board, the National Ballot consists of 15 student-athletes who are candidates for the Wooden Award All-America Team and Wooden Award Trophy, recognizing the Most Outstanding College Basketball Player in the United States.

Voting for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award All-America Team, presented by Principal, will open on March 16 at 6:00 am (ET) and close on March 28 at 11:59 pm (ET). During that time, voters will evaluate each candidate’s complete body of work throughout the season, including performances in the opening rounds of the NCAA Tournament, to determine the most outstanding players in college basketball.

Acuff Jr. is:

looking to join Pete Maravich as the only players to lead the SEC in scoring and assists in a season.
the only player in the NCAA to average at least 20 pts (22.2) & 6 assists (6.4).
the only player in the NCAA to average at least 16 pts & have an A/TO ratio of 3.0 or better.
according to OptaSTATS, the only player in NCAA history to have at least 20.0+ PPG, 5.0+ APG, 40.0+ 3P% and 3.00+ A/TO ratio in a season.
the only Razorback to have 5 points/assists double-doubles in a season.
the only Razorback to score at least 600 points (666) and have at least 150 assists (193) in a season.

The Wooden Award Men’s and Women’s All-America Teams, along with the Men’s and Women’s Top Five finalists for the Wooden Award Trophy, will be announced on Saturday, April 4 during the Men’s Final Four on ESPN, building anticipation for the sport’s most prestigious individual honor.

The Golden Anniversary celebration will culminate on Friday, April 10, 2026, at the Los Angeles Athletic Club. That evening, with the Wooden Award Winners from the Top Five finalists in attendance, the 2026 John R. Wooden Award® presented by Principal® will be announced live at 9:00 PM EST during a nationally televised broadcast on ESPNU. The event will also recognize the 2026 Legends of Coaching Award recipient, Matt Painter of Purdue, as part of a historic fiftieth anniversary celebration honoring excellence both on and off the court.

Wooden Award Finalists
Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas
Christian Anderson, Texas Tech
Cameron Boozer, Duke
AJ Dybansta, BYU
Jeremy Fears, Michigan State
Kingston Flemings, Houston
Thomas Haugh, Florida
Graham Ike, Gonzaga
Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan
Labaron Philon Jr., Alabama
Braden Smith, Purdue
JT Toppin, Texas Tech
Keaton Wagler, Illinois
Caleb Wilson, North Carolina

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