Arkansas G Darius Acuff Jr. selected No. 7 in 2026 NBA Draft
By David Wasson
Published:
Former Arkansas standout Darius Acuff Jr. was the first Southeastern Conference player selected in Tuesday night’s 2026 NBA Draft, taken No. 7 overall by the Sacramento Kings.
Acuff turned in a historic season for the Razorbacks in 2025-26, including SEC Player of the Year honors in his freshman season and a spot on The Associated Press All-America first team. The 6-foot-2 guard led Arkansas to the Sweet 16 after averaging 23.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists. He also made 44 percent of his 3-point attempts.
Acuff was projected as a lottery pick, potentially going as high as No. 5. He joins a heralded list of John Carlipari-coached players to become a Top 10 selection. Derrick Rose was the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after leading Calipari’s Memphis squad to the national title. John Wall led Kentucky to the Elite Eight in Calipari’s first season as the head coach of the Wildcats in 2010 before he too was the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft that summer. Additionally, Brandin Knight, De’Aaron Fox, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were lottery picks developed under Calipari.
The Kings finished last in the Pacific Division with a 22-60 record in 2025-26 – their third straight season not qualifying for the NBA Playoffs.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
