According to a recent report, Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr. is now considered to have a higher draft projection than that of Kansas Jayhawks star Darryn Peterson.
On Tuesday, March 31, @NBACentral on X/Twitter uploaded a report from Jake Fisher that gave the latest development on some of the projections and expectations for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Apparently, Acuff is now considered to be rated higher than Peterson by a handful of NBA teams. This comes after Peterson has consistently stayed afloat as the projected top pick in the draft throughout the 2025-26 season. But it seems as though he has fallen a few clicks while Acuff elevated his game to round out his freshman year.
Fans online did not react too kindly to the alleged development, as they are unsure of their stance towards it.
“This man bout to get some people fired 😭,” one user wrote with a crying emoji.
“Acuff’s rise has been real lately, but Peterson is still a top-tier talent,” another user said.
“That’s a mistake, 6’2 guard who can’t play defense,” another fan claimed.
“Darius Acuff Jr. now edging out Darryn Peterson on some draft boards? Cool, stats don’t lie but calm down, it’s still just rankings on paper. Nothing’s guaranteed until that contract’s signed,” a user pointed out.
Other X users agreed with the development, saying Acuff is a more interesting prospect than Peterson.
“Probably because he’s better and actually likes to play basketball,” one fan shared.
“I’ve seen enough. If I’m a GM, I’m taking Acuff’s 3-level scoring and 7+ assists over Peterson’s ‘potential’ any day. Peterson is the safer pick, but Acuff is the star. The only reason Acuff isn’t undisputed #1 is because he isn’t 6’6. If he was two inches taller, this wouldn’t even be a discussion. Skill > Height,” another fan explained.
“As they should, the eye test is rarely wrong,” a user posted.
It remains to be seen whether both Acuff and Peterson will return to college basketball come the 2026-27 campaign. But the two standouts have long been deemed one-and-done players, so they have likely played their first and final years in the sport. Wherever it ends up falling, Acuff and Peterson are surefire first-round draft picks in the draft.
Darius Acuff Jr. And Darryn Peterson Are Already Out Of The 2026 March Madness
With their likely one-and-done seasons coming to fruition, it seems as though both Darius Acuff Jr. and Darryn Peterson have played their final games of college basketball.
This is because they have both already been eliminated from this year’s March Madness, with Acuff and coach John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks losing in the Sweet 16 while Peterson and coach Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks bowing out in the second round.
Read More: John Calipari Has Already Sent Warning to NBA Teams About Darius Acuff Jr. as Razorbacks Star’s Draft Stock Soars
Also Read: “Doesn’t Work As Hard As He Needs To”: Darryn Peterson Given Major Reality Check By Insider After Jayhawks’ Second Round Loss
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