Darius Acuff is expected to hear his name called in the NBA Draft on Tuesday, with projections placing him in the No. 6 to No. 8 range and a chance to become Arkansas’ earliest draft selection. The draft begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and Acuff is one of three Arkansas players expected to be picked over the two nights.
That search makes sense because Acuff is not just another first-round name. He averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in his lone collegiate season, won the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard, was SEC Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year, and became a consensus First-Team All-American after also drawing nominations for the Naismith and Wooden National Player of the Year Awards. He was the first player to lead the SEC in both points and assists since LSU’s Pete Maravich in 1969-70, and he helped Arkansas win the SEC Tournament title and reach the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
The range matters because the board appears to have a clear top tier before Acuff comes off it. AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are expected to go first, and then the next cluster is where Acuff has settled. The Brooklyn Nets hold the No. 6 pick, the Sacramento Kings are at No. 7, and ’s latest mock draft sends him to the Kings. John Calipari said Friday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd that he thinks Acuff will average 18 points and 8 assists minimum in the league, adding that he is a terrific passer and faster than people give him credit for. Calipari also said he would take Acuff with the No. 1 pick if he had it.
Still, the fit is not perfect. Scouts view Acuff as a high-level offensive prospect, but some have concerns about his defense, and that is part of why he is being mocked just outside the very top of the lottery rather than higher. He averaged 0.8 steals per game and measured 6-foot-2 barefoot, numbers that help explain why teams like the scoring and passing but keep asking whether he can hold up on the other end against NBA guards.
If Acuff goes where most projections have him, he will become Arkansas’ 16th first-round selection, the fifth one-and-done pick in program history and Calipari’s 44th first-rounder and 63rd player taken overall. Sidney Moncrief remains the program’s highest pick at No. 5 overall, with Anthony Black and Joe Kleine tied at No. 6 overall, so Acuff can edge into that neighborhood only if a team takes him earlier than expected. The second round begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday, and that is the next checkpoint for Arkansas, which could leave this draft with Acuff, Meleek Thomas and Trevon Brazile all selected.
