Bill Simmons breaks out rare Kyrie Irving comp for Arkansas’ Darius Acuff Jr.

Arkansas will enter March Madness with skyrocketing confidence, as it captured the title in the SEC Tournament after beating Vanderbilt, 86-75, at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.

The Razorbacks, who were given a fourth seed in the NCAA Tournament, were led by Darius Acuff Jr., who went off for 30 points, including five three-pointers, on top of three rebounds and 11 assists.

He has seen his draft stock rise over the past few weeks, as he has displayed an all-around game that could translate well in the NBA.

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons even issued a bold take on his podcast, comparing Acuff to Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks.

“I’m willing to say it, I don’t know if anyone else has planted their flag on this, he’s starting to look a little Kyrie-ish to me. I know that’s sacrilege. Kyrie is one of one. One of the most skilled guards we’ve ever had. Ambidextrous, incredible finisher, just like a guy you would create in a lab,” said Simmons.

“There’s stuff Acuff does that just makes me think of Kyrie as I’m watching him.”

While Acuff’s ball-handling is still not up to par with Irving’s, they have identical sizes and similar explosiveness. The 19-year-old Acuff, however, can improve on his shot selection, a problem that Irving also had early in his career.

Acuff was named MVP of the SEC Tournament after averaging 30.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 7.6 assists. He shot 50% from three-point territory. The freshman guard led the conference in scoring and assists in the regular season, where he was also named MVP.

He is projected as a top-seven pick in this year’s NBA Draft, with some even putting him as high as No. 4.

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