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By Justin Grasso
Contributing Sports Writer
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When it comes to the 2026 NBA Draft, Arkansas basketball star Darius Acuff hasn't garnered much support as a potential No. 1 pick. The same names that were mentioned as top pick-worthy at the beginning of the year remain the primary players on that front.
Following a clash between Texas and Arkansas on Wednesday night, Longhorns head coach Sean Miller made a powerful and lengthy statement on Acuff, suggesting that he should not only be in that No. 1 pick conversation, but he might be worth leading it.
"Usually, a guy like Acuff gets too much credit or too much respect as a young player in college basketball. That can happen sometimes when a guy is that highly touted and certainly has this bright future beyond college as he does, but in my time, I've never seen a point guard better," Miller told reporters.
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Miller outlined Acuff's statistics and accomplishments this season as if he were one of his own. In the 29 games leading up to Wednesday's action, Acuff was the SEC leader in scoring with 22.0 points per game. He shoots the ball with efficiency, making 49% of his shots from the field.
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From three, Acuff takes 5.6 attempts per game. He is shooting at a 42% clip from deep.
Beyond scoring, Acuff is leading the SEC in assists as well, with 6.2 per game. And where Miller is perhaps most impressed is the fact that he turns the ball over just twice per game on average. For a team that takes care of the ball, Acuff tends to get a lot of credit for that success, considering he's a lead guard.
"His assist-to-turnover ratio is astonishing, and not until you are actually in the game and you feel his presence, the adage of a point guard makes the game easier for his teammates, he's the textbook prime example of that. I just have never been on a court where one player at that position is any better than he is. Greatness is how I would describe his game."
Acuff has a future in the NBA and will certainly get picked up by a team if he enters the draft after his rookie campaign. He still has plenty of time to drive his stock up way higher than where he was projected at the beginning of the NCAA season. As March Madness approaches, Acuff is consistently winning over his peers.
"Guys like him, they just don't come into college basketball very often. He's a generational player," Miller finished. "He's really, really good, and this No. 1 pick thing, I don't know why people aren't talking about him more. I just can't imagine anybody better."
In 36 minutes of action on Wednesday, Acuff checked in for 36 minutes. He shot 8-15 from the field to score 28 points. He also had a double-double with 13 assists to just three rebounds. Arkansas dominated Texas 105-85. Acuff will be back on the court for the Razorbacks on Saturday, March 7, for a game against Missouri.
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