For the entire college basketball season, it’s been a “Big 3” when looking at the 2026 NBA Draft.
There was Kansas Jayhawk Darryn Peterson, BYU Cougar AJ Dybansta, and Duke Blue Devil Caleb Boozer.
Speed, shooting, power, they had it all. The trio of freshmen was a class above everyone else in projections, with even standouts like North Carolina’s Caleb Wilson chasing behind them.
In other classes, a player like Wilson would be the undisputed top player in the nation and a clear favorite to go first overall. But among freshmen, he was a clear fourth for many pundits.
SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. wasn’t even on the radar of going in the first five picks of the 2026 NBA Draft before the season, but he started out the season strong and has somehow only gotten better as the year has gone on.
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In the SEC tournament, he rose to the occasion, somehow taking another step up in his game and leading the Razorbacks to the conference title. If some thought that could be a fluke, Acuff Jr. shut down the critics by only raising his game again in March Madness, scoring 24 in a blowout against Hawaii to open the tournament before dropping 36 against High Point in a nailbiter.
At every turn, Acuff Jr. has been there to take over when needed for the Razorbacks, and not only is his play rising, but his draft stock is as well.
Per NBA insider Marc Spears, an NBA general manager who asked to remain anonymous, told him they believe Acuff Jr. might have worked his way into the top three picks.
"Real quick on Acuff: I had one GM tell me today he's moved into the top three,” said Spears. “Peterson might be going back down a little bit. He saw AJ as number one, Wilson two.”
There have also been rumors that the Sacramento Kings, who might very well have a top-three pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, love the Razorback point guard and might value him regardless of how high they end up selecting.
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