Some Folks Believe Darius Acuff Not as Good as Arkansas Fans Thinking

FAYETTEVILLE - Arkansas Razorbacks freshman Darius Acuff is enjoying a sensational season while leading the SEC in points and assists.

He was the No. 5 overall recruit a year ago and the nation's top high school point guard when Hogs coach John Calipari added the Detroit native to his long list of impressive signees.

Acuff hasn't disappointed. He might have even exceeded expectations as the Razorbacks fashioned a 20-7 record, 10-4 in the SEC, good enough for a tie for second place in conference standings.

Would Calipari trade his first-year star for any other point guard in the country? No way.

But others aren't as high on Acuff as Calipari and Arkansas fans. When The Athletic, the sports wing of the New York Times, received a question in its weekly "mailbag" about Acuff, several negatives were cited about the Hogs' star.

The biggest problem seems to be that Acuff is 6-foot-2, which isnt as nice as 6-foot-4 or 6-foot-6, for sure. But these 6-foot-2 guards are doing just fine in the NBA:

Steph Curry
Jalen Brunson
Tyrese Maxey
Damian Lillard
Ja Morant
Kyrie Irving

Acuff is a far better player than another Calipari point guard from the list above. Maxey played one season for Calipari at Kentucky and has been a two-time NBA All-Star in his five pro seasons.

Acuff will be a terrific NBA player, and if Maxey is capable of making the All-Star team, so is Acuff. How guys improve year-to-year is obviously the key to a long career, but check out the stats from the freshman seasons of Maxey and Acuff.

Maxey averaged 14 points and 3.2 assists while playing 34 minutes a game in his freshman season for Kentucky. Acuff is averaging 22.2 points and 6.2 assists, with both numbers leading all SEC players.

Stats don't tell the whole story, but highlights do and there is a lot of upside in Acuff's game.

Unlike the writer in The Athletic, who was critical of Acuff's NBA future, there are those who say Acuff is underrated. Check out the argument below that Acuff is the most valuable player in the SEC.

Enjoy Jon Rothstein praise Darius Acuff for 2 minutes and 58 seconds pic.twitter.com/pRTtJ6aC2b
— 🜲 (@RAZ0RBACKS) January 29, 2026

Below is the question addressed on Feb. 11:

What do you guys think of Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr., who is averaging similar scoring stats (and better passing stats) to UNC’s Caleb Wilson and isn’t that far behind the likes of Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, and Darryn Peterson? Why aren’t his draft projections Top 10 or higher like theirs are, and where is his hype/flowers? — Asher A.

Admittedly, that was a dozen days ago, so Brendan Marks of The Athletic might have slightly altered his opinion of Acuff, especially with the impressive numbers amassed in the last three games when the Hogs' leader averaged 33.3 points, nearly six assists and four rebounds while shooting 57%
(30-of-53) from the field, 61% (14-of-23) on threes, and 87% (26-of-30) on free throws.

The basis of Marks' argument against Acuff deserving equal footing with the players mentioned above, or to be among the Top 10 drafted by the NBA, hasn't changed. Here are Marks' remarks:

"Acuff has undoubtedly had an awesome freshman season, leading the Razorbacks in scoring (20.5 points per game) and assists (6.3) while keeping Arkansas firmly in the SEC regular-season race. He’s been John Calipari’s latest stud guard, and he’s going to be a first-round pick this summer.

"But when you’re projecting for the NBA, counting stats aren’t all that matter. Production is important, of course, and Acuff checks that box, but you also have to dig a little deeper. Is this player’s role the same as it will be at the next level? How does this player compare physically to future NBA counterparts? And how well-rounded is he, if his best attributes only translate to a certain degree?

"This is where the four names you mentioned separate themselves. How many 6-foot-2, ball-dominant point guards do you see dominating the NBA these days? Not many, especially in an era where height and length are at a premium. Acuff is a gifted passer, ranking ninth among high-major players in assists, but his calling card in college has been scoring. But against the best opponents Arkansas has faced, Acuff’s point totals have come at the cost of his efficiency. Check out the difference:

Acuff season-long splits: 49 percent on field goals, 41.2 percent from three-point range, and a 3.15 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Acuff in 12 games vs. “Tier A” KenPom opponents: 44.4 percent on field goals, 31.1 percent from three, and a 2.47 assist-to-turnover ratio.

"Arkansas is just 6-6 in those games, with Acuff attempting a staggering 16.3 shots per contest.

"While Acuff is an extremely talented natural scorer, it would go against the grain for an NBA team to empower him — especially at that level of inefficiency — to be so ball-dominant, especially at his size. Beyond that, Acuff’s defense has been fine, but nothing to write home about. (He has a positive wing span, closer to 6-foot-6, but doesn’t always use it to be disruptive.).

"And lastly, this freshman class is an all-timer. Studs abound everywhere. There are 12 freshmen averaging at least 17 points per game, so while Acuff’s numbers get him in the mix, they don’t naturally anoint him above any of the other awesome guards — like Peterson, Kingston Flemings or Mikel Brown Jr. — in this class." — Marks

Marks is right on several points:

This is truly a superb freshman class.
Acuff is not 6-foot-6.
He wasn't exceptional in all big games.

As for Acuff's defense — and this can be said for about every college player ever — he's played better the second half of his freshman season than in the first half.

That's when Arkansas faced most of the killer schedule that will eventually include all eight teams from last season's Elight Eight.

Since Karter Knox and D.J. Wagner suffered injuries, Acuff has responded and played even better.

No, Acuff is not 6-foot-6 like a former Calipari point guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player.

But Acuff is a legit 6-foot-2, strong, aggressive and mentally tough like most inner-city guards. His handle is exceptional, his passing instincts even better, and he's able to get to his spots with or without a screen.

He creates his own mid-range jumper, gets to the rim consistently and finishes with an impressive 69% shooting percentage against the big guys.

Is Acuff as coveted, or even as potentially good or dynamic, as 6-foot-9 AJ Dybantsa of BYU, 6-foot-5 Darryn Peterson of Kansas, 6-foot-9 Cam Boozer of Duke, 6-foot-10 Caleb Wilson of North Carolina, 6-foot-4 Kingston Flemings of Houston, or 6-foot-6 Keaton Wagler of Illinois?

Maybe not, but like all of them, his is a freshman. According to NBA Draft Room, those are the top six picks in the next NBA Draft, with Acuff coming next at No. 7.

Apparently, the Dallas Mavericks could use a new point guard just like Acuff. Here's what NBA Draft Room has to say about the Hogs' star, predicting only Flemings of the University of Houston will go ahead of him:

Arkansas – HT: 6-foot-2 – WT: 190 – WING: NA – Fr – After the AD (Anthony Davis) trade, the Mavs are full steam ahead for the lottery. They need talent at just about every position, but their biggest need is a young, dynamic guard to take the reigns from Kyrie and to pair with Cooper Flagg. Acuff Jr. is a baller, a winner and a big time shot-maker who plays with a ton of confidence.
PLAYER COMP: Stephon Marbury, Coby White, Damian Lillard

As for Marks' comments about Acuff's game translating to NBA success, imagine him pairing with last year's No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg. The addition of Acuff will relieve pressure from the 6-foot-9 Flagg to handle the ball and start the offense as the point-forward.

As a pure scorer, Acuff will feast on other point guards as defenses can't clog the paint and driving lanes are often more open than in college.

Plus, with Acuff's uncanny ability to find the open man, effectively lead the fast break, and set up other scorers, it's not unthinkable he will eventually lead the NBA in assists while remaining a dangerous scorer from all three levels.

Hogs Feed: