Darius Acuff is considered one of the top prospects for this year’s NBA draft. The Arkansas guard is enjoying a stellar freshman year, and there have been some who are interested to know where Acuff ranks among the top talents looking to go pro.
Many analysts believe that Acuff is a top-five pick for the 2026 NBA draft. On Wednesday, ESPN projected the Razorbacks star to get taken by the Dallas Mavericks with the No. 7 overall pick.
Here’s a look at the top-10 mock draft created by ESPN’s Jeremy Woo:
- Darryn Peterson, PG/SG, Kansas. Freshman.
- AJ Dybantsa, SF, BYU. Freshman.
- Cameron Boozer, PF/C, Duke. Freshman.
- Caleb Wilson, PF/C, North Carolina. Freshman.
- Kingston Flemings, PG, Houston. Freshman.
- Keaton Wagler, PG/SG, Illinois. Freshman.
- Darius Acuff Jr., PG, Arkansas. Freshman.
- Mikel Brown Jr., PG, Louisville. Freshman.
- Nate Ament, SF/PF, Tennessee. Freshman.
- Brayden Burries, SG, Arizona. Freshman.
ESPN Analyst Jay Williams Believes Darius Acuff Will be a Top-Five Pick in 2026 NBA Draft
On Sunday, ESPN analyst Jay Williams shared why he feels Darius Acuff might be a top-five pick at this year’s NBA draft.
“Now, I’ve seen all these top guards in the NBA Draft. Obviously, this is an exciting 2026 NBA Draft coming up,” Williams said on SportsCenter ahead of the SEC Tournament championship game vs. Vanderbilt. “Mikel Brown Jr., really good. Saw Kingston Flemings the other night in Houston, really good. Darius Acuff Jr., better. I think he’s going to be a top five pick.
“We’ve seen multiple games this year where he scored at will, but it’s his size, it’s his frame, it’s his ability to take over games,” Williams continued. “Now, shot selection and timing, all things that come along with basketball maturity and experience, but I think today you’ll get a chance to see probably one of the most prolific scorers in the game of college basketball — Stephon Marbury-like against one of the most underrated backcourts (in Vanderbilt).”
Before the SEC Tournament championship game, Acuff was averaging 22.7 points and 6.4 assists per game — both rank in the top 15 in the country heading into March Madness. Acuff, who was named SEC Rookie of the Year, is also averaging 3.2 rebounds per game.
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