If you ask Arkansas head coach John Calipari, there’s no doubt that Darius Acuff Jr. will immediately produce at the NBA level.
The reigning SEC Player of The Year averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in his lone season playing for Calipari and the Razorbacks, leading the Hogs to an SEC Tournament title while also earning SEC Tournament MVP honors.
Advertisement
He’s certain to be a first-round NBA draft pick on June 23, and it’d be shocking if he’s not a top-10 selection. The Athletic has Acuff being drafted by the Sacramento Kings in its latest mock draft. “
“I think Darius Acuff will go in that league and average 18 and 8, minimum,” Calipari said Friday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd. “He’s a terrific passer, way quicker than people give him credit [for].”
Acuff’s best quality, however, might be his toughness and work ethic. He was nursing a leg injury prior to Arkansas’ Feb. 18 road trip to Alabama, in which he dropped 49 points in a double-overtime loss. He then proceeded to score 20 points in 35 minutes of action when Arkansas returned home just three days later in a victory over Missouri.
Advertisement
John Calipari Believes In Darius Acuff’s Work Ethic
“We just lost to Alabama,” Calipari said. “I had four guys foul out of the game. [Acuff] is trying to will us to win. His foot is so bad. He scores 49. We come back [to Fayetteville], I said, ‘Listen, you should take the next game off.’ He was in a boot. Take the next game off. We were playing Missouri at home.”
Acuff was having none of it.
Mar 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) looks on during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
“He looks at me and he says, ‘Do you know we lost?’ And he got up and left. Like, ‘I’m not sitting out, we just lost a game.’ You don’t want that? You don’t want a guy that, he’s gonna give you everything he has?
Advertisement
“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. And Darius Acuff, I’m telling you, there’s going to be some guys regretting [not picking him.]”
Calipari, who knows a thing or two about sending players to the professional ranks, believes that the first few picks of the draft are, at least in theory, already set in stone.
“That’s okay,” Calipari said. “That’s okay. When he starts playing, you’ll remember this conversation, and we’re saying, ‘You’re going to regret not taking him.'”
Sure, Calipari is biased. But it’s hard to say that Acuff wouldn’t immediately make an impact at the NBA level, at least offensively and especially for a squad like Sacramento, which went 22-60 last season and failed to have a guard average more than 20 points per game.
Advertisement
No matter what organization ends up drafting Acuff, they’ll have an incredibly talented player at their disposal, and one that will have Calipari in their corner to vouch for him if need be.
Sign up toour free newsletter, and follow us onFacebook,X (Twitter)for the latest news.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Razorbacks’ Calipari Sends Warning to NBA Teams Who Pass on Darius Acuff.
