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Why Darius Acuff Jr. is a top 5 pick in ClutchPoints’ post-March Madness NBA mock draft
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- Why Darius Acuff Jr. is a top 5 pick in ClutchPoints’ post-March Madness NBA mock draft
Why Darius Acuff Jr. is a top 5 pick in ClutchPoints' post-March Madness NBA mock draft appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Recently, the Arkansas basketball program saw its 2025-26 season come to an end with a tough loss at the hands of the Arizona Wildcats in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Still, it was another solid season for the Razorbacks, thanks in large part to the play of freshman Darius Acuff Jr. , who is expected by many to be one of the first names taken off the board in the upcoming NBA Draft.
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Recently, ClutchPoints released its annual NBA mock draft, and Brett Siegel projected Acuff Jr. to be taken at number five overall by the Sacramento Kings .
" Deron Williams , Derrick Rose , Tyrese Maxey , Jalen Brunson , Monta Ellis , and Tim Hardaway are all names that have come up in conversations I've had around the league when mentioning Acuff, which shows the wide array of talent he possesses," noted Siegel. "…There are a handful of teams that already view him as the top guard in this draft class over Peterson and would take him as high as the third pick."
Siegel did, however, also note the one common criticism of Acuff Jr., which has been his defensive skills and intensity, which were questionable at times during the 2025-26 season at Arkansas. Acuff also isn't exactly going to be a big guard in the NBA, and in a league increasingly shifting away from smaller, offensive-minded guards (see the trade value, or lack thereof, of Ja Morant and Trae Young this past season), that could affect how teams view him heading into the draft.
Still, there's no denying Acuff's ability to kickstart an offense, and where he ends up being taken will likely depend heavily on how the NBA Draft lottery shakes out.
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The NBA Draft is slated to get underway in late June.
Related: Kansas basketball rumors: Jayhawks in driver's seat for Tennessee transfer
Related: Miami basketball rumors: Hurricanes battle Arkansas for All-SEC Defensive Team transfer
