Darius Acuff Jr. will bring a winning pedigree to the Sacramento Kings as he enters his rookie year after being drafted at No. 7 in June.
Acuff is coming off a stellar one-and-done stint at Arkansas, where he shone under coach John Calipari. The young guard has repeatedly credited the legendary mentor for molding him into a well-rounded player.
The 19-year-old Acuff is the latest in the long list of playmakers Calipari helped send to the NBA. He was effusive in his praise of his former coach.
“I don't know how he does it. It seems like every year he's got somebody new. Even this year, he's got somebody. Next year, he might get somebody,” said Acuff in a video posted by ESPN Radio's James Ham.
“It's crazy just to see how well he coaches the best point guards. I'm truly blessed to be one of them. That's the greatest coach, the greatest recruiter, the greatest everything. He's a great person more than he is a great coach. That's what separates him from everybody else.”
Article Continues BelowDarius Acuff Jr. following his first NBA training camp session: pic.twitter.com/E1QBmDBS9v
— James Ham (@James_HamNBA) September 29, 2026
He will try to follow in the footsteps of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, Devin Booker, Jamal Murray, Tyler Herro, De'Aaron Fox, Derrick Rose, John Wall, and Tyreke Evans, who all played for Calipari in college.
It is a daunting task, but Acuff is more than ready to strut his stuff and apply the lessons he learned at Arkansas, which he led to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament.
“Just staying level-headed, just being smart, and just being a leader. As the point guard, you've got to lead the team,” said the SEC Player of the Year in a report from Sports Illustrated's Logan Struck.
Acuff will make his debut for the Kings against the Los Angeles Clippers on October 21.