When discussing the 2026 NBA Draft, three freshman point guards consistently dominate the conversation: Darius Acuff, Mikel Brown, and Kingston Flemings. All three are elite talents. All three project as potential NBA lead guards. Yet despite matching, or outright surpassing, his peers in production and efficiency, Acuff continues to lag behind in national draft conversations. According to college basketball draft analyst Christopher Kline, he has Acuff going third out of the three guards in his latest mock draft.
The question is simple: why?
Darius Acuff Is Producing at an Elite Level
From the opening weeks of the season, Darius Acuff has looked the part of a future NBA initiator.