Arkansas
HawgBeat – Battle, Mark, players-only meeting lead Arkansas to wild win over Vandy
The Arkansas Razorbacks (16-16, 6-12 SEC) came out on top in the first round of the SEC Tournament, winning a wild overtime game over the Vanderbilt Commodores (9-23, 4-14 SEC) by a score of 90-85.
In a wild turn of events, Arkansas overcame a 15-point second-half deficit to take the lead before a string of late-game turnovers allowed Vanderbilt to tie the game back up and send it to overtime. From there, the Hogs battled it out to survive and advance.
Arkansasâ comeback was fueled by the scoring efforts of backcourt duo Tramon Mark and Khalif Battle. After going scoreless in the first half, Mark went on a tear to finish with 18 points on 50% shooting. It was the Houston transferâs huge four-point play that gave Arkansas the lead back with less than eight minutes to play.
âI just didnât wanna lose,â Mark said. âThat factored into my mindsetâ¦I just went out there and got it, and we were able to get the win.â
Battle led the team in scoring with 24 points and was able to attack the basket and draw fouls. He shot a remarkable 13-14 from the charity stripe, the most made free throws by a Razorback in an SEC Tournament game. Battle cited the teamâs resilience after sleepwalking into a 41-27 halftime deficit.
â[Coach Musselman] told us we were playing soft, and we took it personal from there,â Battle said in his postgame interview. âHe challenged a lot of the guysâ¦Itâs still March and anything can happenâ¦my confidence never waversâ¦Iâm a hooper and thatâs what I do.
With the Razorbacks on the brink of having their season ended in an ugly fashion, Mark said that the team called an emergency players-only meeting at halftime to rally the troops, and that helped inspire the Hogs to a second-half comeback.
âIt was definitely a fired-up locker room, especially after the coaches left,â Mark said on SEC Network after the game. âWe had a players-only meeting and we just called each other out. Everybody had something to say and it was good, because we came out there in the second half with a chip on our shoulder.â
As for Battle, this marks his sixth straight game with at least 20 points. He also six rebounds, three assists and two steals in the game, plus seven of his points came in overtime.
“He was phenomenal,” Musselman said. “We wanted to go to him. We’ve gone to him the last couple of weeks when we need a basket. We put the ball in T-Mark’s hands too in certain stretches.”
Up next, Arkansas will face the 5-seed South Carolina Gamecocks (25-6, 13-5) in the second round of the SEC Tournament. Tipoff at Bridgestone Arena will be 25 minutes after the conclusion of Mississippi State vs. LSU, which starts at noon CT.
BROOKLYN — Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff is the first of three Razorbacks off the board in the 2026 NBA Draft Tuesday night when he was selected by the Sacramento Kings with the No. 7 overall pick in the first round.
Acuff’s selection makes him the highest drafted player from Arkansas since 2023 when Anthony Black went No. 6 overall to the Orlando Magic.
He went into the night projected to be the first player from the Hogs taken following a phenomenal freshman year that saw him earn first team All-American honors, SEC Player of the Year, league freshman of the year, and SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Likely his biggest accomplishment was becoming the first player to lead the SEC in points and assists since Pete Maravich in 1970.
As a freshman, Acuff averaged over 24 points, six assists and three rebounds on 48% shooting from the field, 44% from three and 81% from free throw line.
His knack as a bucket getter and facilitator lifted the Razorbacks to a different level in the postseason by averaging an astonishing 30 points, seven assists and one steal across six postseason tournament games.
He led Arkansas to a victory over Vanderbilt for the SEC Tournament Championship and back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances.
Arguably his best performance of the season came in a double-overtime classic in Tuscaloosa against Alabama when he dropped 49 points on 16-of-27 from the floor, 6-of-10 from three and 11-of-12 from the free throw line. He also contributed with five rebounds, five assists and only one turnover in 50 minutes.
And don’t forget, the 6-foot-2, 186 pound point guard did all of that on a bum ankle he sustained against Aubrn just four days prior.
During a media appearance on ESPN last week, Calipari made sure to warn NBA teams they will regret passing on superstar point guard.
“A great teammate. We all hear stuff. I’m around these kids, all they want to do is get better. They want to respect who’s coaching them,” Calipari told Colin Cowherd on The Herd. “And Darius Acuff, I’m telling you, there’s going to be some guys regretting [not picking him.]
“That’s okay. That’s okay. When he starts playing, you’ll remember this conversation, and we’re saying, ‘You’re going to regret not taking him.’”
Acuff is the latest in a growing list of coach John Calipari guards to be selected as lottery picks across his four decades in the college game. Former Kentucky stars Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, John Wall, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, De’Aaron Fox and Brandon Knight.
During his time at Memphis, Calipari helped Derrick Rose, Tyreke Evans, and Dajuan Wagner were each lotter picks from 2000-2009.
The 2026 NBA Draft will continue with its second round Wednesday night at 7 p.m. CT from the Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Coach Cal Reaction
There haven’t been many times over the years that Calipari has missed out on watching one of his stars stroll across the stage to shake hands with the NBA Commissioner.
The second-year Razorbacks coach told the world Tuesday night that the Kings will be getting a “fierce competitor and winner” in Acuff.
With NBA Lottery pick and Sacramento Kings Guard Darius Acuff Jr!!! Congratulations to the entire family! The Kings are getting a fierce competitor and winner https://t.co/pk7T9H8e8b
— John Calipari (@CoachCalArk) June 24, 2026
Being drafted by Sacramento shouldn’t come as a surprise either as most mock drafts pegged him at No. 7 overall since the beginning of the college basketball offseason. With so many connections to the franchise, the Kings’ organization might be the perfect fit after all as General manager Scott Perry coached his father two decades ago at Eastern Kentucky.
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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KAIT) – Registration is open for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s annual urban deer hunt.
This year’s hunts will be held in Cherokee Village, Fairfield Bay, Heber Springs, Helena-West Helena, Horseshoe Bend and Russellville.
The archery-only hunts are designed to offer an “inexpensive and effective method of nuisance deer management,” according to an AGFC news release.
Deer harvested during the urban hunts do not count toward a hunter’s seasonal limit, and there are no limits to the number of deer that can be harvested.
However, the first deer taken must be donated to Arkansas Hunters Feeding the Hungry, which provides ground meat to food pantries across the state.
Hunters must pass the International Bowhunters Education Program before participating. The program is available at www.agfc.com/education/hunter-education.
Hunters also must attend orientation to learn the specific rules of the hunts and pass a shooting proficiency test.
For more information, visit www.agfc.com/urbanhunt.
To report a typo or correction, please click here.
Copyright 2026 KAIT. All rights reserved.
The Arkansas Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Monday, June 22, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 22 drawing
17-19-21-45-48, Powerball: 13, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 3 numbers from June 22 drawing
Midday: 8-6-8
Evening: 4-9-7
Check Cash 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 4 numbers from June 22 drawing
Midday: 4-4-6-9
Evening: 6-4-1-4
Check Cash 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Natural State Jackpot numbers from June 22 drawing
07-17-23-28-32
Check Natural State Jackpot payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 22 drawing
07-08-20-24-42, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Arkansas Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Cash 3 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 3 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Cash 4 Midday: 12:59 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- Cash 4 Evening: 6:59 p.m. CT daily.
- Lucky For Life: 9:30 p.m. CT daily.
- Natural State Jackpot: 8 p.m. CT daily except Sunday.
- LOTTO: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.
- Millionaire for Life: 10:15 p.m. CT daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Arkansas editor. You can send feedback using this form.
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