Appearing on Wednesday’s episode of NBA Today on ESPN, Arkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff told host Malika Andrews that he has decided to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft.
The announcement comes as no surprise, given that Acuff is widely expected to be a top-10 pick in June. He’s ranked sixth overall on ESPN’s big board and shows up at No. 5 in the latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report.
A 6-foot-3 guard, Acuff started all 36 games he played as a freshman in 2025-26 and led the SEC with 23.5 points and 6.4 assists in 35.1 minutes per contest. He also pulled down 3.1 rebounds per game and posted an excellent shooting line of .484/.440/.809.
The 19-year-old’s standout season, which included a Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, earned him several year-end honors, including the SEC Player of the Year award and a consensus first-team All-American nod.
