Potential top-five pick Darius Acuff Jr. has made his NBA Draft intentions official.
The Arkansas guard said on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Wednesday that he would enter the 2026 NBA Draft. Acuff is considered a surefire lottery pick and could even be the second guard taken in June.
Acuff was also as capable as anyone in college basketball of dropping 30 points in a given game. He hit the 30-point mark six times and even scored 49 points in a 117-115 double-overtime loss at Alabama in February. Acuff was 16-of-27 from the field in that game and made 11-of-12 free throws.
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Acuff shot at least 50% from the field in each of those six 30-point games and dropped 31 in a win over Auburn just four days before that loss to Alabama. Against the Tigers, Acuff was 10-of-15 from the field. On Jan. 24, Acuff was 13-of-19 as he dropped 31 points in a home win over LSU.
With Acuff leading the way, Arkansas finished 28-9 overall and was second in the SEC at 13-5. The Razorbacks were a No. 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and lost 109-88 in the Sweet 16 to No. 1 Arizona.
In Yahoo Sports’ latest mock draft on Wednesday morning, Kevin O’Connor had Acuff going seventh overall to the Brooklyn Nets. Here’s what O’Connor wrote about him.
Acuff is a wiry scorer who can get a bucket from anywhere on the floor with a quick trigger, slippery handle, and a feel for manipulating defenses. He can also thrive off-ball as a shooter and cutter, which would be vital for a Nets roster already full of ball-handlers. Acuff would have the highest upside of them all, though. He entered college with a scoring reputation, but has emerged as a skilled, low-turnover playmaker; he looks like a future All-Star who can toggle between a score-first or pass-first approach. Plus, he displays leadership qualities. The Nets are still badly in need of a lead dog. Acuff could be that guy.
Acuff came to Arkansas as a five-star recruit and the No. 9 player in the country. He was the No. 3 prospect in the state of Florida — he played his high school basketball at IMG Academy — and was the No. 2 point guard behind fellow 2026 NBA Draft entrant Mikel Brown Jr.
