In a 2026 NBA draught class headlined by names for illustration Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and AJ Dybantsa, Darius Acuff Jr. mightiness not person a realistic changeable astatine becoming nan No. 1 pick, but he could extremity up 1 of nan astir impactful.
Acuff, a six-foot-three lead defender committed to Arkansas, has nan tools, scoring pedigree, and semipermanent polish to emergence into nan apical tier of this stacked group and perchance go nan adjacent Razorback occurrence communicative successful a caller tally of NBA-bound guards.
Over nan past 5 years, Arkansas has go a quiet mill for NBA guards. The 2023 draught unsocial saw 3 Razorbacks (Anthony Black, Nick Smith Jr., and Jordan Walsh) perceive their names called.
Before them, players for illustration Moses Moody, Isaiah Joe, and Patrick Beverley paved nan way.
Acuff is now poised to transportation that contented guardant pinch a operation of scoring versatility, beingness strength, and processing playmaking instincts that should construe seamlessly from IMG Academy to Bud Walton Arena and yet to nan league.
Acuff’s accumulation speaks for itself. He was among nan astir prolific shooters successful nan EYBL, knocking down complete 35% of his threes connected precocious measurement and converting free throws astatine an elite clip.
His 21.3 points per crippled led nan EYBL Scholastic convention successful 2023-24, and he consistently finds ways to get buckets astatine each 3 levels. He’s besides improved arsenic a passer, particularly successful his elder year, showing much willingness to make basal sounds and usage his gravity to find cutters and shooters.
But if Acuff is going to climb into nan aforesaid tier arsenic Peterson, Boozer, aliases Dybantsa — arguably 3 of nan astir polished, NBA-ready prep stars successful years — he’ll request to sharpen a fewer things. Fine-tuning his rim finishing against elite length, improving his decision-making, and reducing his turnovers will beryllium key.
Still, nan instauration is stone solid. His physicality, scoring instincts, and increasing consciousness springiness him a existent chance to beryllium nan first constituent defender disconnected nan committee successful a loaded class.
If Acuff continues to inclination upward astatine Arkansas, he could not only go nan adjacent Razorback to make nan leap but besides situation nan apical names successful nan 2026 draft.
He mightiness not person nan hype yet, but he has nan crippled and nan resume to clang nan party.