Darius Acuff Jr. is a 19-year-old point guard from Detroit who spent one season at Arkansas under John Calipari and had one of the most decorated freshman seasons in the history of college basketball.
The Sacramento Kings selected him with the seventh overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday at Barclays Center.
At 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-7 wingspan, Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds while shooting 48.4 percent from the field and 44 percent from three in his lone college season, the only player in the country to average at least 20 points and six assists.
He led the SEC in both categories, the first player to do so since Pete Maravich in 1970. He swept the conference awards, SEC Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year, First Team All-American, Bob Cousy Award as the nation's best point guard, and led Arkansas to its first SEC Tournament title since 2000, averaging 30.3 points per game to earn Tournament MVP.
He dropped 49 points on Alabama in a double-overtime win during the regular season. He set Arkansas single-season records for points and assists.
The Kings' connection to Acuff runs deeper than his talent. Sacramento GM Scott Perry coached Acuff's father, Darius Sr., two decades ago at Eastern Kentucky.
The organization hosted Acuff for a private workout the week before the draft. They were not going to miss him at seven.
"Darius Acuff is one of the most accomplished, pro-ready prospects in this draft class," the Kings said after the selection.
His defense is the primary question, he averaged 0.8 steals per game and scouts have flagged his size, but at seven, the Kings were getting the best offensive guard available and they knew it.