Darius Acuff Jr. is set to enter the NBA as one of the most exciting players in his draft class. The former Arkansas Razorbacks point guard is slated to be a top 10 lottery pick and is expected to join the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff Jr. grew up in a family of basketball players. He developed a deep love and passion for the game from an early age. Surrounded by family members who saw his potential and encouraged him, Acuff Jr. was destined to be a professional athlete.
In one season with Arkansas, he averaged 23.5 points per game with 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists while shooting over 48% from the field and 44% from the three-point line. To fully understand why he’s so good at such a young age, we need to take a look at the role his parents played in his journey.
Acuff Jr.’s parents are Darius Acuff Sr. and Dureese Owens. Both of his parents have deep roots in basketball. His father, Darius Acuff Sr., grew up in Detroit and played college basketball for Eastern Kentucky University in the late 1990s.
His mother, Dureese Owens, also has a background in basketball, having played in high school. Other than his parents, Acuff Jr.’s uncle, Rashad Phillips, was the all-time leading scorer at the University of Detroit Mercy.
His father and uncle started training him at a very young age. Acuff Jr. credits his father for teaching him everything about the game.
“He taught me everything that I do on the court,” he told Swish Cultures. “From dribbling, shooting, all of it, passing, he taught me everything. He coached me when I was little, so everything I learned is from him. He’s seen it all.”
Acuff Sr. also helped instill the work ethic and dedication for basketball in his son.
Darius Acuff Jr.’s Father Taught Him How To Study Film
Studying film is a very important part of an athlete’s development. However, most athletes only take it seriously when they’ve reached a high level. For Darius Acuff Jr., that process started at a very young age.
His father told HawgBeat that when Acuff Jr. was in the fourth grade, he taught him how to study film and the importance of it.
“He was probably the only fourth, fifth, sixth-grader that was actually doing real things. That was a big part of his development when it comes to, Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, he studied them to a T,” he said.
Acuff Jr. has focused on a well-rounded development of his game since he was in fourth grade. It’s not surprising that he’ll soon be a top 10 NBA Draft pick.
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