Sacramento fans got their first real taste of what Arkansas supporters already knew: Darius Acuff brings out a reaction.
When the Kings took Acuff with the No. 7 overall pick, the noise inside Golden 1 Center told the story. The crowd broke into applause, and the moment fit the kind of buzz the freshman built in Fayetteville, where his one season with the Razorbacks turned him into a full-blown sensation.
Acuff was the kind of guard Arkansas fans couldn’t get enough of. His scoring popped immediately, but so did everything else - the handles, the playmaking, the way he kept defenses off balance.
He finished his freshman year averaging 24 points, six assists and three rebounds while shooting 48% from the field, 44% from 3-point range and 81% at the line. In the postseason, he took it up another notch, averaging 30 points, seven assists and one steal over six tournament games.
For Acuff, the connection to John Calipari was a huge part of the decision to land at Arkansas in the first place.
“It was all [Calipari]," Acuff told Swish Culture. I credit assistant coach Chin [Coleman], too.
It was them two for sure. The guards, like, seeing that history, it’s hard to pass that up.
Watching how he got what I think are two MVPs now, with Derrick Rose and [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander].
“So, just seeing all them guys make it to the NBA, like even some guys who averaged probably 13, 14 points and they were, you know, top five, top 10 picks. So just seeing the history, that was the biggest thing for me."
Calipari kept backing that belief all the way to the NBA Draft. On Fox Sports, he made it clear he thought teams were going to feel the miss if they passed on Acuff.
"A great teammate. We all hear stuff.
I'm around these kids, all they want to do is get better. They want to respect who's coaching them," Calipari told The Herd.
"And Darius Acuff, I'm telling you, there's going to be some guys regretting [not picking him].
"That's okay. That's okay. When he starts playing, you'll remember this conversation, and we're saying, 'You're going to regret not taking him.'"
The Kings didn’t make that mistake, and Acuff noticed the welcome immediately. Before speaking with reporters over video call, he had already seen the fans’ response and made it clear he plans to give that energy right back.
“It was great to see Kings fans celebrate like that,” Acuff said. “They’re showing love already.
I’m going to definitely show love right back. I’m excited to be there.
I love Sacramento. I know it’s a great city.”
He also said Sacramento was where he wanted to land.
“I wanted to be [in Sacramento] for sure,” Acuff continued. “Any team I got drafted to, I would have been fine, but this is definitely my best destination.
I’m excited to be here. It’s just a relationship that’s been going on for a while now.
This is the best thing for me.”
Arkansas fans already saw what that relationship can look like on the court. If Acuff becomes the NBA star Calipari expects, the Razorbacks will have another elite guard to point to when the coach’s track record comes up.
Acuff and the Kings will be on display soon enough, with NBA Summer League action at the California Classic scheduled for July 4-6.
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The schedule in The Bahamas should also provide a useful mix of styles, with Arkansas lined up to see the Bahamas National Team, Carleton University, Toros del Valle from Colombia and the University of Calgary. For Calipari, it is a valuable early evaluation point for a roster that has very little holdover and a lot of unknowns, and the answers may tell as much about the months ahead as any practice session could. [Read more 🡒]
Meleek Thomas Just Changed The Way Arkansas Fans See Draft Night
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The contract matters almost as much as the draft night landing spot for Arkansas fans, because it signals how teams viewed Thomas ceiling after just one college season. With $6.4 million guaranteed over his first three years and a total package worth $9.3 million, he arrived at the next level with real financial security and the kind of profile that suggests he was never going to be a simple developmental flyer. Thomas said he believes he can help Cleveland, and for Razorbacks followers, it is another reminder that his stay in Fayetteville was brief, but far from ordinary. [Read more 🡒]