Darius Achuff Jr.'s draft stock is on the rise following a historic postseason run with Arkansas. The 6-foot-3 point guard averaged 29.8 points and 6.5 assists while shooting 45.0 percent from three across three SEC Tournament and three NCAA Tournament appearances.
While Achuff's offensive numbers are eye-popping, his defensive struggles as an undersized guard raise questions about his fit at the next level. John Calipari issued a warning to NBA teams about passing on the freshman phenom.
“Pass on him, you’ll regret it,” Calipari told ESPN Andscape's Marc J. Spears. “I said it about [Tyrese] Maxey. I’ve said it about a bunch of guys. I said it about Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander]: ‘You’re going to regret passing on this kid.’ And I know there are other good players, but this kid [Acuff] is unique.”
Unique is an apt description for Acuff's offensive game. The star guard dominated opposing defenses all season with his on-ball creation, elite three-point shooting and high-level playmaking.
Will Darius Acuff Jr. be one of top guards taken in 2026 NBA Draft?
Achuff finished the year averaging 23.5 points and 6.4 assists on .484/.440/.809 shooting splits. His 2.97 assist/turnover ratio underscores his poise in a high usage role at just 19 years old.
However, his defensive limitations are a glaring concern entering a league that continues to devalue undersized guards who struggle to defend. Arkansas allowed 109 points on 64.0 percent shooting during their 21-point loss to Arizona in the Sweet 16.
Acuff was the No. 7 pick on ESPN's latest mock draft, behind other freshman guards such as Darryn Peterson (No. 1), Kingston Flemings (No. 5) and Keaton Wagler (No. 6).
“Yeah, it’s always been like that,” Acuff said of being overlooked. “I ain’t tripping on it. When you win, everything will come within itself. That is my main focus. … When I was younger, I was always the smallest guy. When I got to high school, nobody really paid attention to Detroit like that. You have to go out and play with heart. In high school, I dealt with the same thing. I had to play and show up at every big stage.”
NBA front offices will have to decide whether Acuff's elite shooting season was an outlier hot streak or his baseline. If they land on the latter, they'll have to determine whether his offensive production will outweigh his defensive deficiencies.
Such answers will determine how high Acuff can rise in one of the most talented draft classes of the last several decades.
