Overview
- Arkansas’ season ended in the Sweet 16 against Arizona, and Acuff finished his first NCAA Tournament with 86 points over three games, the most ever by a freshman.
- Darius Acuff Jr. led the SEC in points, assists and minutes, earned unanimous First Team All-America, and swept SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year.
- Evaluators project him near the top of the 2026 draft, with rankings clustered between No. 5 and No. 8, as teams weigh elite offense against size and on-ball defense at 6-foot-2.
- Head coach John Calipari urged NBA teams not to pass on Acuff, calling him a unique prospect in comments to ESPN.
- During the tournament he signed a Reebok signature shoe, which ESPN described as the first for a current NCAA men’s player under NIL rules that now allow such deals.