Arkansas trending for 5-star PG Darius Acuff ahead of commitment
The first big domino of the 2025 basketball recruiting cycle is set to drop on Friday, as Detroit native and Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy five-star point guard Darius Acuff will announce his commitment.
The 6-foot-1 senior has narrowed list down to Arkansas, Kansas and Michigan, but one program has the edge in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) just 24 hours out from Acuff’s decision.
While Razorbacks head coach John Calipari is taking on a new challenge away from Kentucky, the Hall of Famer doesn’t look to be losing any steps on the recruiting trail. On3’s Joe Tipton and Jamie Shaw have each logged picks in favor of Arkansas landing the elite guard.
Acuff took an official visit to Fayetteville back in May. Calipari and his staff have continued to make an impression throughout his recruitment and now look to be in the driver’s seat to pick up a major pledge.
“Just how (Calipari) coaches his guards. All his guards go to the league,” Acuff previously told On3 of his interest in the Hogs. “You see it every year. Also, his resume speaks for itself. He’s one of the winningest coaches ever. He’s a great coach, a guard coach, if not the best.”
Acuff is the No. 8 overall prospect and top-ranked PG in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Scouting Report
On3’s Jamie Shaw writes this of Acuff as a prospect:
“Darius Acuff steps on the court with a swagger. He has long arms and a purposeful handle. Acuff is a capable scorer from multiple levels, showing deep range off the bounce or the catch. He is comfortable pulling up in the mid-range and he has a crafty bag around the rim. Acuff is more quick than fast. He has a good first step, getting to his spots, but he needs to continue to work on his burst around the basket. Acuff is a solid passer, making reads and distributing passes on target. He needs to continue getting strong passing off movement. He can also get shot happy. While he has put up big scoring totals, he does so mainly with a lot of shot attempts at this point. His over-dribbling can kill the flow of an offense. Efficiency is a big thing with Acuff, his totals can be inefficient. He has quick hand when guarding the ball in the open floor. He seems to have a competitive fire and no fear. His cousin is Eastern Michigan’s Tyson Acuff.”