John Calipari has always been the strongest supporter of the players he coached in college even once they’ve made it to the NBA, and he certainly isn’t going to stop now. With one of his top talents at Arkansas in Darius Acuff Jr. primed for the NBA draft, he’s issued a stark warning to any team who plans to overlook him this season.
Speaking to Colin Cowherd, Calipari made it clear that Darius Acuff Jr. is a top quality player who needs to be considered as one of the top picks in the NBA draft, and he has personal experience to back up his argument.
“He (Darius Acuff Jr.) is a terrific passer. Way faster than people give him credit (for),” Coach Calipari said.
After explaining the spirit of Acuff Jr. and his addiction to winning by giving an example of his insistence to play through an injury to help the Razorbacks, Coach Cal went on to describe what NBA teams need to consider about the 19-year-old.
“A great teammate. I’m around these kids, all they want to do is get better. They want to respect who’s coaching them. And Darius Acuff, I’m telling you there’s going to be some guys regretting and I know “oh 1 to 4 already established”, well that’s okay, when he starts playing you’ll remember this conversation and we’re saying you’re gonna regret not taking him because if you’re good enough you’re big enough.”
Who’s Predicted to Go Early in the NBA Draft?
While Coach Calipari is incredibly high on Darius Acuff Jr., he’s unfortunately not one of the top few picks predicted at the NBA draft despite an incredible performance last season.
As things stand, it seems like AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are going to be the top four picks in the draft, with the order subject to change.
That being said, stranger things have happened in drafts before so maybe there’s an outside chance someone takes a shot at Acuff Jr. early and believes in him.
Read more:
Mark Pope’s Spot Reportedly Under Threat as Former Chicago Bulls Coach Linked With Kentucky
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
