The upcoming 2026 NBA Draft class includes potential top picks such as Kansas’ Darryn Peterson, BYU’s AJ Dybantsa and Duke’s Cameron Boozer.
However, Arkansas star guard Darius Acuff Jr. is making a name for himself to enter that conversation.
Now, Acuff even joined an exclusive club with former Kentucky star Anthony Davis and ex-Alabama star Brandon Miller as the only SEC players to win Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year based on the coaches’ votes.
Darius Acuff Jr. joins Anthony Davis and Brandon Miller as the only SEC players to win BOTH Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year as voted on by SEC coaches 👏 pic.twitter.com/rWPJUU3h96
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 9, 2026
Acuff has taken college basketball by storm, even recording a feat that only Kobe Bryant did in the NBA or Division 1 when the Arkansas star scored 49 points in the win over Alabama.
Acuff is averaging 22.2 points with 6.4 assists on 49 percent from the field. He also has scored double digits in every game this season while recording 20 or more in 10 of the last 11 games going into the SEC Tournament.
Arkansas is the No. 3 seed in the SEC Tournament, and the Razorbacks will play one of Texas A&M, South Carolina or Oklahoma on Thursday.
And, if Acuff can go on a Kemba Walker-esque March Madness, he could make his way into the top-five conversation in the upcoming NBA Draft.
