Darius Eugene Acuff Jr. (born November 16, 2006) is an American basketball player. He played college basketball for the Arkansas Razorbacks. He was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2025 class.
Early life and high school career
Acuff was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.[1] His father, Darius Acuff Sr., played for the Eastern Kentucky Colonels men’s basketball team.[2]
Acuff first attended Cass Technical High School.[3] As a freshman, he was a 2022 Associated Press (AP) all-state honorable mention.[4] As a sophomore, he averaged 21.4 points and 5.7 assists per game, leading Cass Tech to a state championship.[5] In 2023, he earned AP first-team all-state recognition and was the first sophomore to ever be named Mr. PSL for his play in the Detroit Public School League.[6] Acuff transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida after his sophomore year.[7]
Recruiting
Acuff was a consensus five-star recruit in the 2025 class, according to major recruiting services.[8][9] On July 26, 2024, he committed to play college basketball for John Calipari and Arkansas, choosing from a final list that also included Kansas and Michigan.[10][11]
| Name | Hometown | School | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darius Acuff Jr. PG |
Detroit, MI | IMG Academy (FL) | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 26, 2024 | |
| Recruit ratings: Rivals: | ||||||
| Overall recruit ranking: Rivals: 13 247Sports: 5 On3: 21 ESPN: 7 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
As a freshman with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Acuff led Arkansas to a 28–9 overall record, a second place regular season finish in the SEC, and a 2026 SEC men’s basketball tournament championship.[12] Averaging 23.0 points per game and 6.6 assists per game, both marks that led the SEC, Acuff earned numerous conference and national awards. Acuff was named SEC Player of the Year, SEC Rookie of the Year, SEC Tournament MVP, and an AP All-American 1st team selection.[13] In the 2026 NCAA tournament, he led the Razorbacks to the Sweet 16 with victories over Hawaii and High Point. On April 5, 2026, Acuff won the Bob Cousy Award, which is given to the best point guard in the nation, becoming the first Arkansas player to win the award, and the first freshman. Acuff was also a finalist for the Naismith Award. On April 22, 2026, Acuff announced he would be entering the 2026 NBA draft.[14]
National team career
Acuff played for the United States under-18 basketball team at the 2024 FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup.[15] He averaged 17.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and four assists per game and was named the tournament MVP as the United States won the gold medal.[16]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 | Arkansas | 36 | 36 | 35.1 | .484 | .440 | .809 | 3.1 | 6.4 | .8 | .3 | 23.5 |
References
- ^ “IMG Academy’s Darius Acuff on his relationship with Arkansas’ John Calipari”. MassLive.
- ^ Hutchinson, Andrew; Demirel, Evin (3 March 2026). ““Overrated” Darius Acuff More Than Up to The Task Now Facing Roughed-Up Razorbacks”. Best of Arkansas Sports. Retrieved 24 March 2026.
- ^ “Detroit Cass Tech’s Darius Acuff sprouted out of pandemic to become PSL’s best player”. Detroit Free Press. February 10, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Broderick, Bill (April 8, 2022). “Which locals were named to Division 1 All-State boys basketball team?”. Battle Creek Enquirer. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ Williams, Mason (May 16, 2023). “Indiana offers fast-rising ’25 point guard Darius Acuff Jr”. Rivals. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Purcell, Jared (April 6, 2023). “Meet the 2023 Michigan Associated Press Division 1 boys basketball all-state team”. MLive.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
- ^ Kahn, Andrew (July 24, 2024). “Top point guard in 2025 class considering Michigan, set to announce choice”. MLive.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Cassidy, Rob (July 2, 2024). “Ranking the Contenders: Five-star point guard Darius Acuff Jr”. NBC Sports. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Roberts, Ben (July 26, 2024). “The first five-star basketball recruit for 2025 is off the board. He picked John Calipari”. Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Borzello, Jeff; Biancardi, Paul (July 26, 2024). “Top-10 recruit Darius Acuff commits to John Calipari and Arkansas”. ESPN.com. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ Bass, Tobias (July 26, 2024). “Arkansas lands 5-star recruit Darius Acuff Jr.: What this means for Razorbacks”. The Athletic. Retrieved October 8, 2024.
- ^ https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/arkansas/men/2026.html
- ^ https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/darius-acuff-jr-1.html
- ^ Medcalf, Myron. “Projected lottery pick Darius Acuff Jr. declares for NBA draft”. ESPN. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ Andershock, Trevor (May 28, 2024). “Indiana basketball: 2025 recruiting targets make USA Basketball U18 team for 2024 FIBA AmeriCup”. 247Sports. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ “Kansas makes top 4 for 5-star 2025 point guard Darius Acuff”. Kansas City Star. July 1, 2024. Retrieved October 8, 2024.