Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr. poured in a performance for the ages Wednesday night in the Razorbacks’ 117-115 2OT loss to Alabama.
Acuff Jr. scored a career-high 49 points on 16-27 shooting (6-10 from three-point range) from the field. He also dished out five assists, grabbed five rebounds, and turned the ball over just once in a whopping 50 minutes of play. His 49 points set the Arkansas freshman record, and he was just two points away from tying the program record for most points in a game (Rotnei Clarke scored 51 against Alcorn State in 2009).
The star freshman is averaging 22.3 points, 6.2 assists, and 3.0 rebounds this season for an Arkansas team currently projected as a No. 5 seed in On3’s latest Bracketology. During Thursday’s edition of ‘First Take‘, NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins claimed that he’d select Acuff Jr. with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Kendrick Perkins tabs Darius Acuff Jr. as his No. 1 overall pick in 2026 NBA Draft
“He’s averaging six assists, so not only is he getting his, he’s making guys around him better,” Perkins said. “I’m really about to blow your mind with this one. I would actually take Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 1 pick. He is Stephon Marbury times two with a Derrick Rose mentality towards his demeanor. He is a bonafide killer, and when you look at the guards and the scoring that can impact the league, he’s more NBA ready than A.J. Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson.
“He is NBA ready. We could look at Darryn Peterson right now. Darryn Peterson we’re questioning right now if he loves the game. We’re questioning his mentality. If we look at A.J. Dybantsa, we’re questioning his body frame and if he’s going to be able to keep up with the physicality of the NBA. I don’t have one single concern about (Acuff) right now. He steps on that floor and I might pick him to win Rookie of the Year next year.”
The 2026 NBA Draft is one of the most loaded in seasons, headlined by Kansas‘ Darryn Peterson, BYU‘s A.J. Dybansta, Duke‘s Cameron Boozer, North Carolina‘s Caleb Wilson, and Houston‘s Kingston Flemings, among others. Acuff Jr’s strong play and leadership, however, has obviously opened many eyes around the NBA in need of a poised point guard who shines in the brightest moments.
If he could seriously make a run at being selected No. 1 overall, he’d be John Calipari‘s first guard selected with the first pick in the NBA Draft since John Wall in 2010 (Washington Wizards).