Darius Acuff Jr. didn’t need long to leave a mark in NBA Summer League. The former Arkansas guard, selected No. 7 overall in last month’s NBA Draft, has already helped the Sacramento Kings open with two wins in the California Classic, and his first two games offered a clear snapshot of where he is in the transition from college stardom to the pro game.
His official debut came Saturday against the Brooklyn Nets, and the Kings escaped with a 79-76 win. Acuff’s first real game action since the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in late March wasn’t clean from the start. He finished with 25 points on 9 of 29 shooting, including 1 of 9 from 3-point range, along with four assists, a rebound, a steal and a turnover in 30 minutes.
Afterward, Acuff pointed to the pace as the biggest adjustment.
"It was a bit rough to start," Acuff said after the game. "I think I was moving too fast.
Nobody was making me move that fast. I think, in my mind, just ready to go and try to attack from the start.
Should have paced it out a little more from the start. ... It got easier over the game, probably around midway through the second quarter, I figured it out a little bit."
Even with the shooting numbers, Acuff still made a winning play when it mattered. Rather than force a difficult look late, he moved the ball and set up Nique Clifford for the game-winning 3.
Two days later, Acuff looked far more settled against the Milwaukee Bucks. He scored 22 points on 7 of 19 shooting, hit 4 of 9 from beyond the arc and buried a late dagger in a 95-89 Kings win.
"From the start, I just slowed down more," Acuff told ESPN's Mark Jones after the game. "Last game I was a little too rushed.
I shot too many times and went back to my high school ways a little bit. I didn't like that, so I came out with a little more poise, tried to get people involved more and slowed the game down a little bit."
That late three had a familiar feel for anyone who watched Acuff at Arkansas. He isolated Bucks rookie Kira Lewis, rose over Lewis’ out-stretched arm and knocked down the shot to put Sacramento ahead 93-87 with 22 seconds left. He also added three assists, three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
Acuff and the Kings are back in action Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers in Las Vegas. Tip-off is set for 10 p.m. (CDT), with ESPN carrying the game.
In Other News...
Arkansas May Have Found The O-Line Piece That Changes Everything
Arkansass offensive line has been one of the biggest talking points of the offseason, and Malachi Breland is a major reason why. The Memphis transfer arrives with real college experience, having started 19 games, and he is expected to slide in at left guard for first-year coach Ryan Silverfield. Phil Steeles College Football Magazine already took notice, naming Breland to its preseason All-SEC team, a sign that his reputation is traveling with him into the SEC.
For a Razorbacks front that needed more stability and punch, Breland looks like the kind of addition that can change the feel of the whole unit. His background at Memphis suggests Arkansas is getting a lineman who has already handled a heavy workload and protected the pocket well, and the hope is that his presence helps raise the floor for a group trying to become a strength rather than a question mark. The bigger test now is whether that promise shows up once the season starts. [Read more 🡒]
Quincy Rhodes And Arkansas Line Earned A Big SEC Statement
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Rhodes was not the only Razorback lineman getting noticed, either, as Kobe Branham and Malachi Breland also picked up preseason All-SEC mention on the offensive side. For a program moving into its first season under new head coach Ryan Silverfield, that kind of line-of-scrimmage respect matters, and it gives Arkansas a little early proof that the roster still has SEC-caliber pieces in place before the opener against North Alabama on Sept. 5. [Read more 🡒]
Arkansas Mourns Legendary Razorback Bill Burnett And His Lasting Legacy
Bill Burnetts place in Arkansas football history was already secure long before news of his death in Springdale at 78. A running back for the Razorbacks from 1968 to 1970, he helped drive the program to two Sugar Bowl trips and still stands as the schools career touchdown leader, a mark that speaks to both his production and the era in which he played.
His impact, though, reached well beyond the field. Burnett was a founding member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and later became a community leader whose work extended into Northwest Arkansas and beyond, earning him spots in several halls of fame along the way. For Arkansas fans, his legacy now sits at the intersection of football excellence and a life spent serving others, with tributes continuing to reflect just how much he meant to the people around him. [Read more 🡒]