While John Calipari has only one national championship to his name from his time at Kentucky, the veteran head coach’s name has been synonymous with NBA draft success over the years.
From Derrick Rose, John Wall, Anthony Davis, and Karl Anthony-Towns, Calipari has seen several of his students make a name for themselves in the big leagues. The Arkansas head coach added another feather to his cap as former Razorbacks star Darius Acuff Jr. was picked seventh overall in the 2026 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff Jr. joined a long list of stars on his way to becoming the 30th player under John Calipari to get selected in the lottery. The most by any head coach in college basketball history. Acuff Jr. also became Calipari’s first non-Kentucky draft pick since Rob Dillingham in 2024.
Calipari’s other draft picks include:
| Player | School | Pick | Year |
| Dajuan Wagner | Memphis | 6 | 2002 |
| Shawne Williams | Memphis | 17 | 2006 |
| Derrick Rose | Memphis | 1 | 2008 |
| Tyreke Evans | Memphis | 4 | 2009 |
| John Wall | Kentucky | 1 | 2010 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | Kentucky | 5 | 2010 |
| Patrick Patterson | Kentucky | 13 | 2010 |
| Eric Bledsoe | Kentucky | 18 | 2010 |
| Daniel Orton | Kentucky | 29 | 2010 |
| Enes Kanter | Kentucky | 3 | 2011 |
| Brandon Knight | Kentucky | 8 | 2011 |
| Anthony Davis | Kentucky | 1 | 2012 |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | Kentucky | 2 | 2012 |
| Terrence Jones | Kentucky | 18 | 2012 |
| Marquis Teague | Kentucky | 29 | 2012 |
| Nerlens Noel | Kentucky | 6 | 2013 |
| Archie Goodwin | Kentucky | 29 | 2013 |
| Julius Randle | Kentucky | 7 | 2014 |
| James Young | Kentucky | 17 | 2014 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | Kentucky | 1 | 2015 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | Kentucky | 6 | 2015 |
| Trey Lyles | Kentucky | 12 | 2015 |
| Devin Booker | Kentucky | 13 | 2015 |
| Jamal Murray | Kentucky | 7 | 2016 |
| Skal Labissière | Kentucky | 28 | 2016 |
| De’Aaron Fox | Kentucky | 5 | 2017 |
| Malik Monk | Kentucky | 11 | 2017 |
| Bam Adebayo | Kentucky | 14 | 2017 |
| Kevin Knox | Kentucky | 9 | 2018 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Kentucky | 11 | 2018 |
| PJ Washington | Kentucky | 12 | 2019 |
| Tyler Herro | Kentucky | 13 | 2019 |
| Keldon Johnson | Kentucky | 29 | 2019 |
| Tyrese Maxey | Kentucky | 21 | 2020 |
| Immanuel Quickley | Kentucky | 25 | 2020 |
| Isaiah Jackson | Kentucky | 22 | 2021 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | Kentucky | 7 | 2022 |
| TyTy Washington Jr. | Kentucky | 29 | 2022 |
| Cason Wallace | Kentucky | 10 | 2023 |
| Reed Sheppard | Kentucky | 3 | 2024 |
| Rob Dillingham | Kentucky | 8 | 2024 |
| Darius Acuff Jr. | Arkansas | 7 | 2026 |
Calipari Beams With Pride As Darius Acuff Gets Selected
The 67-year-old head coach was present at the Barclays Center on Tuesday night to show support to his former Razorbacks star, and he couldn’t hide his excitement as Sacramento announced its intentions to pick Acuff Jr.
Calipari had been campaigning for Acuff during the pre-draft process, showering praise on the 6-foot-1 guard in an appearance on Colin Cowherd’s podcast.
“I think Darius Acuff will go in that league and average 18 and 8, minimum. He’s a terrific passer, way quicker than people give him credit.”
Besides Acuff Jr., Meleek Thomas (expected to be a late first-round pick), and Trevon Brazile (expected to be a mid-second-round pick) are two more Arkansas alums Calipari will be rooting for.
Read More:
Who Are Darius Acuff Jr.’s Parents? Meet The Family Behind The 2026 NBA Prospect
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