Arkansas 5-star PG signee Darius Acuff hits game-winner for IMG Academy
The ‘5 for the Fight National Hoopfest’ in Pleasant Grove, Utah, featured an elite matchup between two of the top high school basketball teams in the nation on Wednesday, as IMG Academy (Fla.) squared off against Compass Prep (Ariz.).
The showdown delivered. IMG pulled out a 64-62 victory thanks a last-second three-pointer by star point guard Darius Acuff. The five-star Arkansas commit nailed a catch-and-shoot trey from the wing, leaving Compass barely any time to rebuttal with a full-court heave before the buzzer.
Acuff finished with 25 points on 11-21 shooting, while also racking up five assists, two rebounds and a steal. He shot 3-7 from deep and was able to get to the rim with ease all day long.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Detroit native is the No. 9 overall prospect and the top-ranked point guard in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
He committed to John Calipari and the Razorbacks on July 26 and is one of three signees for the Hall of Fame head coach in his first recruiting cycle in Fayetteville. To no surprise, Calipari’s relationship-building and reputation developing other elite guards resonated with Acuff.
“Coach Calipari treats you like family. He welcomed me in on my visit like he knew me already. It was a great visit overall….They like my aggressiveness,” Acuff previously told On3. “He says he likes how I am able to get downhill, my pace, and my attitude for the game. They see that I just love the game so much and I just want to win.
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“Just how (Calipari) coaches his guards. All his guards go to the league. 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, Five-Star Plus+ shooting guard Meleek Thomas and four-star small forward Isaiah Sealy create the No. 4 recruiting class in the nation, per the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
Darius Acuff Scouting Summary
On3 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.”