Arkansas will enter March Madness with skyrocketing confidence, as it captured the title in the SEC Tournament after beating Vanderbilt, 86-75, at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.
The Razorbacks, who were given a fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament, were led by Darius Acuff Jr., who went off for 30 points, including five three-pointers, on top of three rebounds and 11 assists.
He has seen his draft stock rise over the past few weeks, as he has displayed an all-around game that could translate well in the NBA.
The Ringer's Bill Simmons even issued a bold take on his podcast, comparing Acuff to Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.
“I’m willing to say it, I don’t know if anyone else has planted their flag on this, he’s starting to look a little Kyrie-ish to me. I know that’s sacrilege. Kyrie is one of one. One of the most skilled guards we’ve ever had. Ambidextrous, incredible finisher, just like a guy you would create in a lab,” said Simmons.
“There’s stuff Acuff does that just makes me think of Kyrie as I’m watching him.”
While Acuff's ball-handling is still not up to par with Irving's, they have identical sizes and similar explosiveness. The 19-year-old Acuff, however, can improve on his shot selection, a problem that Irving also had early in his career.
Acuff was named MVP of the SEC Tournament after averaging 30.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. He shot 50% from three-point territory. The freshman guard led the conference in scoring and assists in the regular season, where he was also named MVP.
He is projected as a top-seven pick in this year's NBA Draft, with some even putting him as high as No. 4.
