Sacramento Kings rookie guard Darius Acuff Jr. found great success in college, but it is worth wondering if he can find that same success in the NBA.
The Sacramento Kings drafted guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft with the hope that he could develop into a consistent player in the backcourt for years to come.
In college with the Arkansas Razorbacks, Acuff played just one season, but he was clearly one of the better players in the country, which was a major reason why the Kings took him at No. 7.
With Acuff having such a successful stint at Arkansas, there is one question that must be answered. Can Darius Acuff Jr. bring his college success to the NBA?
To be able to answer that question, let's first take a look at Acuff's performance with the Razorbacks last season.
In 2025 at Arkansas, Acuff averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game. As far as Acuff's efficiency goes he was pretty solid as he shot 48.4 percent from the field, 44 percent from three, and 80.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Additionally, Acuff averaged 35.1 minutes per game and started all 36 games for Arkansas, which is a testament to his conditioning and the fact that he proved to be able to handle a workload like that.
Standing at 6-2 and 186 pounds, Acuff brings a solid frame that should help him to battle through contact when he is trying to score or make plays for his teammates.
So, when looking at Acuff's performance and size, it is pretty clear that he was a dominant player at the collegiate level as his 23.5 points per game ranked him third in the entire country which was only spots behind No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybansta.
Now, not only was Acuff a great scorer, but he was also a good facilitator, which is what helped him to average 6.4 assists per game and constantly put his teammates in good positions to score.
On the defensive side, Acuff does have some room to grow, but being able to learn from some of the veterans the Kings have, like DeAndre Hunter, should definitely help with that.
With that said, Acuff's efficiency is something that he should be able to carry over at all three levels, especially because the Kings have a player like center Domantas Sabonis on the interior who commands attention which then opens up opportunities on the perimeter for Acuff.
Defensively, Acuff must find a way to develop and make that a strength, otherwise, opposing guards will consistently attack him and wear him down throughout the game. The good news for Acuff is that, as previously mentioned, he can learn from a player like Hunter, as well as forward Keegan Murray and guard Zach LaVine.
So, the answer to the question is that Acuff should be able to find success on the offensive end based on the personnel the Kings have, but obviously there will be a learning period as going from college to the NBA is not easy. Additionally on the defensive end, Acuff must constantly learn from the veterans so he can make himself more of a well-rounded player and become someone the Kings trust on both ends.
