![\"Arkansas](\"https:\/\/kupitiblog.store\/597\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/dc1c0b7e52f9dfbc74be023e5023186a.webp\" "\\"Arkansas")
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Potential top-five pick Darius Acuff Jr. has made his NBA Draft intentions official.<\/p>\n
The Arkansas guard said on ESPN\u2019s \u201cNBA Today\u201d on Wednesday he would enter the 2026 NBA Draft. Acuff is considered a surefire lottery pick and could even be the second guard taken in June.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
In Yahoo Sports\u2019 latest mock draft on Wednesday morning, Kevin O\u2019Connor had Acuff going seventh overall to the Brooklyn Nets. Here\u2019s what O\u2019Connor wrote about him.<\/p>\n
\nAcuff 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.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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 \u2014 he played his high school basketball at IMG Academy \u2014 and was the No. 2 point guard behind fellow 2026 NBA Draft entrant Mikel Brown Jr.<\/p>\n