Arkansas Wins in OT Without Darius Acuff Jr as Calipari Reaches 900 Career Victories
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Arkansas coach John Calipari reached a major career milestone Saturday as the Razorbacks beat Missouri 88-84 in overtime, doing it without darius acuff jr in the lineup.
Darius Acuff Jr Sits as Arkansas Grinds Out Overtime Win
Calipari became the fifth Division I men’s basketball coach to reach 900 career wins, getting the landmark victory in Arkansas’ overtime road win at Mizzou Arena. Arkansas entered the game 23-8 overall and 13-5 in SEC play, while Missouri was listed at 20-11 and 10-8.
darius acuff jr missed the game with what was described as an undisclosed injury. Calipari addressed the decision afterward, saying he would have played him if the milestone itself had been the priority and framing the call around player well-being.
Meleek Thomas Steps In for Acuff and Delivers Career High
With Acuff unavailable, freshman guard Meleek Thomas took on a larger role and scored a career-high 30 points. Missouri forward Mark Mitchell singled out Thomas after the game, praising his play and noting it wasn’t a surprise based on what he had shown throughout the season.
Thomas shot 9 of 22 from the field and made 5 of 6 perimeter shots. He also finished with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal. Calipari said he had told Thomas he would get opportunities, later adding that he enjoys coaching him even as he lives with the risk that comes with some of Thomas’ shot selection.
The win also featured a pivotal moment from Trevon Brazile, who hit a key 3-pointer that put Arkansas ahead for good during the overtime finish.
What Calipari’s 900th Win Means and What’s Next for Arkansas
Calipari joined Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Boeheim, Rick Pitino, and Roy Williams as the only coaches with 900 Division I victories. At 67, he was noted as the second-youngest coach to reach the mark behind Krzyzewski, who did it at 64. Calipari also reached 900 wins in his 1, 185th career game, making him the third-fastest to the milestone.
Calipari is in his second season at Arkansas after 15 years coaching Kentucky. Before that, he coached at Memphis for nine seasons and began his collegiate head coaching career with an eight-year stint at Massachusetts. His résumé includes five Final Four teams and a national championship with Kentucky in 2012. His career record also includes 42 wins vacated by the NCAA: 38 at Memphis tied to the 2007-08 season, and four tied to Massachusetts’ 1996 Final Four run.
Arkansas now turns to postseason play as the No. 3 seed in next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville, earning a double-bye into the quarterfinals. The Razorbacks are scheduled to face one of Texas A& M, South Carolina, or Oklahoma at approximately 8: 30 p. m. ET Friday at Bridgestone Arena, after going 3-0 against those teams in the regular season.
Acuff’s status going forward was not detailed beyond the descriptions given around Saturday’s absence, but the Razorbacks left Columbia with a road win that showed they can get a high-level performance even when their leading scorer is not available.
