Sean Miller is puzzled why Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t in No. 1 pick talks appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The freshman class in college basketball has been one of the most talked-about in recent memory, and for good reason. Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, Duke’s Cameron Boozer, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and many more freshmen have been dominating all season, but Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. has been flying a bit under the radar compared to some of his peers.
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On Wednesday night, Acuff put together another gem, dropping 28 points and 13 assists in a dominant 105-85 win for his Razorbacks over Texas. Acuff finished the day 8-for-15 from the field and 4-for-6 from the 3-point line, controlling the game throughout and keeping the Longhorns at arm’s length for the entirety of the night.
After the game, Texas head coach Sean Miller wondered aloud why Acuff isn’t being considered in the same breath as the Peterson’s and the Dybantsa’s of the world when it comes to the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
“Usually a guy like Acuff gets too much credit or too much respect in college basketball,” Miller said. “That can happen when a guy is that highly touted and has this bright future beyond college like he does. In my time of 34 years, I’ve never seen a point guard better. When people talk about who’s gonna be the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft or who’s the best player in the conference, just for perspective, he averages 25 points per game. He shoots 40% from the 3-point line. He leads our league in assists. …
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“Guys like him, they just don’t come into college basketball very often. He’s a generational player. He’s great. This No. 1 pick thing, I don’t know why people aren’t talking about him more. I can’t imagine anybody better.”
Acuff has been doing this all season for a very good Arkansas team that is a dark horse to make a deep run in March. He is a consensus top-10 prospect in the upcoming draft, but is seen as a tier or two below the likes of Dybantsa, Peterson, Boozer and Caleb Wilson.
However, any NBA team looking for a lead guard that can affect the game in every which way on the offensive end will be forced to take a long, hard look at Acuff when draft night comes around. A big March run for the freshman could even boost him into the top five in June.
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