FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas and head coach John Calipari made a splash on the recruiting trail Friday, securing a commitment from Darius Acuff Jr., the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2025 class and the top-ranked point guard according to 247Sports.
Acuff, 6-2 and 170 pounds, is a consensus five-star recruit who chose the Razorbacks over Michigan and Kansas.
The Detroit native won a gold medal with the 2024 USA Basketball Junior National U18 team at the FIBA U18 Ameri Cup. He started all six games and collected MVP and All-Star Five honors after averaging a team-high 17.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and four assists in 24.2 minutes per game.
Additionally, Acuff averaged 21 points on Nike's EYBL Circuit this past year.
Acuff finished his final years of high school basketball at IMG Academy in Flordia, where scouts praised his confidence and ability to control the offensive end of the floor. One scout for 247Sports said Acuff has an explosive first step and is versatile when attacking the basket, including crafty wrong-footed finishes, complete use of both hands at the rim and good range on his runner.
That same scout also said Acuff has good vision and is a talented passer, but can sometimes dominate the ball and settle for necessarily tough shots.
Defensively, scouts agree that Acuff's physicality and long wingspan (+4.5 inches) can benefit the guard in the long term.
Acuff said he molded his game after old-school players like Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury and current players like Kyrie Irving, Ja Morant, and Trae Young.
