Kings select Darius Acuff Jr. with No. 7 in NBA draft

Alauna Marable, The Detroit News on Jun 23, 2026

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The pick is in, and Darius Acuff Jr. is headed to the Sacramento Kings, selected No. 7 overall in the NBA draft on Tuesday night.

A freshman at University of Arkansas, the 6-foot-2 guard only spent one season as a Razorback before entering the draft. He averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists and 3.1 rebounds this season, and made history in the process.

Earning both SEC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, Acuff became the second player to lead the conference in points and assists in the same season. He led the Razorbacks to their first SEC Tournament title since 2000, and later became the first freshman in Arkansas history to win the Bob Cousy Award for the top point guard in NCAA Division I basketball.

Before college, Acuff played his freshman and sophomore seasons at Cass Tech in Detroit, leading the team to a Division 1 state championship in 2023 before transferring to IMG Academy in Florida to finish his last two years of high school.

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