Arkansas Wins SEC Championship 86-75: Darius Acuff Jr. Makes History, Calipari Claims Record 7th Title
Arkansas is the 2026 SEC Tournament champion. The Razorbacks defeated Vanderbilt 86-75 on Sunday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, claiming their first SEC Tournament title since 2000. Freshman sensation Darius Acuff Jr. delivered a historic 30-point, 11-assist performance to earn tournament MVP honors, while John Calipari claimed his record seventh SEC Tournament championship — and became the first coach ever to win the event at two different schools.
Darius Acuff Jr. Makes SEC Tournament History
Darius Acuff Jr. was simply unstoppable all weekend and saved his best for the championship stage. Acuff became the first player in SEC Tournament history to finish with 30 or more points and 10-plus assists in a single game, capping a dominant three-game run in Nashville.
Acuff, the freshman guard who was named SEC Player of the Year, averaged 30.3 points per game across the three Razorback victories and was named tournament MVP. "They trust me with the ball and I've just got to go make the plays," Acuff said. "Downhill was working all weekend and today. I just had to be smart with the ball."
Already projected as a potential top-10 NBA Draft pick, Acuff went for 37, 24, and 30 points in the Razorbacks' three tournament wins. His draft stock is skyrocketing after one of the most dominant individual SEC Tournament performances in the modern era.
Trevon Brazile Seals It — Arkansas Closes on 12-3 Run
Arkansas trailed by six in the second half before flipping the game on its head. Trevon Brazile was the closer for the Razorbacks, hitting two consecutive 3-pointers to build an 80-72 lead. With the Commodores needing a basket to prevent Arkansas from pulling away, Brazile also blocked a shot, leading to a breakaway layup for Malique Ewin that pushed the lead to 10.
Brazile finished with 16 points and nine rebounds. Calipari praised his squad's late-game composure: "It was a really good game. Two teams played well. We just happened to play a little bit better the last four minutes."
Billy Richmond III and D.J. Wagner Step Up Huge
This was far from a one-man show. Billy Richmond III was sensational in the title game, going 8-of-13 from the field for 18 points and five rebounds. D.J. Wagner — who followed Calipari from Kentucky to Arkansas — made all three of his three-point attempts and finished with 11 points off the bench.
Calipari gave Wagner enormous credit for the victory: "Without him we don't win this game. So you could even go as far as to say D.J. won this game." Arkansas finished a blistering 15-of-24 from three-point range as a team, matching a season high for made threes.
Full Final Box Score — Arkansas vs Vanderbilt SEC Championship
| Player | Team | Points | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. | Arkansas | 30 | 11 AST, 9-20 FG, 5 threes, Tournament MVP |
| Billy Richmond III | Arkansas | 18 | 8-13 FG, 5 REB, 3 AST |
| Trevon Brazile | Arkansas | 16 | 6-9 FG, 4 threes, 9 REB, 2 BLK |
| D.J. Wagner | Arkansas | 11 | 3-3 from three, off bench |
| Tyler Nickel | Vanderbilt | 19 | 5 three-pointers, 9 REB |
| Duke Miles | Vanderbilt | 19 | 9 AST, 4 STL |
| Tyler Tanner | Vanderbilt | 15 | 8 FT, 5 REB |
John Calipari Makes History With Record Seventh SEC Title
Calipari became the first coach to win the SEC Tournament for two different schools with the victory. He won the tournament six times at Kentucky, most recently in 2019, and now claims his seventh title overall at Arkansas.
He tied former Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson for the most appearances in the SEC Tournament championship game with nine. Arkansas played in the championship game for the eighth time since 1995 and for the first time since 2017, having lost in the title game four times since their 2000 championship.
Three Wars in Three Days — Arkansas's Path to the SEC Title
The Razorbacks won three gut-wrenching games in three days to claim the trophy — defeating Oklahoma 82-79 in the quarterfinals, outlasting Ole Miss 93-90 in overtime in the semifinals, and then holding off Vanderbilt in the championship.
Calipari marveled at his team's resilience afterward: "They just went three days and they were wars. Oklahoma was playing the best they played all year. Mississippi was playing the best they played all year. Vanderbilt was playing the best they played all year."
Vanderbilt's Mark Byington Praises Acuff, Eyes NCAA Tournament Bid
Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington had nothing but respect for the Razorback freshman after the loss. Byington called Acuff "terrific" and said the Commodores were the latest team that did not have a game plan capable of stopping him.
Vanderbilt entered the day projected as a No. 2 seed in CBS Sports Bracketology. Their SEC Tournament runner-up finish and semifinal upset of No. 1 seed Florida should keep them firmly in the upper tier of the NCAA bracket heading into March Madness. Arkansas earned the SEC's automatic NCAA Tournament bid and will learn their March Madness seeding and matchup from Sunday's Selection Show — with the nation on notice that the Razorbacks are dangerous.
