One of the best three-level scorers in the draft. Efficiently scored at all levels for the entirety of the season. Can shoot the ball well, play off the PNR, score in the mid range, and attack the rim with confidence, and can finish over bigs. Concerns about his size and lack of defense hold him back from being any higher ranked.

This guy put my Sooners to bed last night in the SEC tournament. Acuff is a certified baller. D Rose + Dame with a quiet confidence. A stone cold killer with x-ray vision, so that hand in his face is as good as glass. As far as I'm concerned, the verdict is in, this kid is a nightmare, this kid is a threat, he's coming for the league, and when he touches that court... Hide the basket. Hide the ball. No lead is safe.

Game translates to NBA seamlessly compared to other lead guards in the draft. Reads/manipulates defenses out of the PnR better than any guard prospect I’ve seen in the last couple of years. 3 level scorer. Been shooting efficiently from all 3 levels all season. Numbers took a little bit of a drop bc of foot injury but not worrisome long term. The main driver behind Arkansas being so elite in transition bc of his court vision and passing accuracy mixed with his speed, strength and shot making. When you’re this good size doesn’t matter (ie Dame, Trae, CP3)

PHYSICAL - Is quick but not strong SKILLS - Has a solid to good handle - Doesn't look like he has spots to get to SHOOTING - Jumper looks misaligned and follow through is not held, but the arc is good and it looks stable - The range of motion on jumper is also janky but it goes in - Shoots off ball and off dribble equally well - Can shoot off movement as well FINISHING - Can get above the rim very occasionally - Doesn't shy away from contact - Doesn't always get to the rim on drives - Has some touch PASSING - Is a slowish processor - Has lob passing and dump offs - Has some high to low, doesn't always look accurate - Can kick out on drives - Really excels at lobs, sees them naturally and often - Has decent vision - Not really a p&r handler - Sometimes a fluid passer sometimes timid DEFENSE - He gets lost but has the speed to recover and puts in effort - Can be caught out of position off ball - Sometimes falls asleep in the corner

Ultra skilled guard who is unstoppable getting downhill despite lack of size. Underrated athlete. Great passer. Sometimes has a bit of trouble decelerating enough to get off a controlled layup in traffic. Great floaters and scoop shots. Elite elite handle. High level shot maker not quite an elite shooter. Can score from every single spot on the floor. Plays way bigger than his listed height. Doesn’t impact much on defense but does seem to have a good feel for help side rotations and has solid hands

Going to do an in-depth dive later, before in my initial evaluation I'm just going to set the stage. Darius Acuff is the exact frame and archetype of a smaller but stalkier guard, right? As an evaluator, my basketball thesis: I love Isaiah Collier, right? Was really high on him. I like the build of Anthony Edwards but if you're going to be under 6'5" or 6'4" you need to have an NBA-ready frame to absorb contact and put your head and get down to the rim. Darius Acuff has this imbalance. What he lacks in vertical height he makes up for in horizontal strength, horizontal spacing, and the biggest thing I look for in prospects, right outside of the sheets, which only adds beautiful context to what I'm seeing with my eyes. Is his feel for the game? Love watching him operate in the pick and roll, love watching him get to his spots in and around the elbow. Has a proficiency for these one-arm almost alley passes, swing passes, kick outlets, and everything like that. Have to do a deeper dive once again into his shooting numbers but this is a starting-caliber guard right there. We should not overthink Darius Acuff. Besides Kingston Flemings, I've been really high on Mikael Brown but his recent struggles at the rim and getting to that spot have been worrying. He could very well be PG1 in this draft. I wouldn't necessarily bet against it.