Darius Acuff Jr. has emerged as the frontrunner for SEC Player of the Year and a potential top-10 NBA Draft pick. The Arkansas freshman has appeared in all 28 games for the Razorbacks so far, averaging conference highs in minutes (34.7), points (22.2) and assists (6.2).
Amid weeks of discourse around Darryn Peterson's playing time, or lack thereof, at Kansas, Acuff is blazing a different trail to the top of draft boards. While he's not considered a No. 1 pick candidate like Peterson, Acuff's production and intangibles could help scouts overlook his flaws.
Darius Acuff is the anti-Darryn Peterson of the 2026 NBA Draft class
Peterson's ongoing health battles are now the leading storyline around this draft class, deserving or not. The former No. 1 recruit has only appeared in 17 games to date, playing 30-plus minutes just eight times. Last week, he removed himself from a win over Oklahoma State early in the second half after scoring 23 points in 18 minutes of floor time.
It has been a rocky road for Peterson at Kansas. He dealt with a hamstring injury early in the year, and he's also dealt with illness, an ankle sprain and periodic cramping, all of which have prevented the 19-year-old from putting his best foot forward (especially in conference play). Folks are beginning to question if Peterson is really that banged-up — or if he's simply embracing a conservationist mindset and preserving himself for the next level. Once the favorite to land No. 1 overall on draft night, Peterson's stock has begun to dip.
Acuff, on the other hand, is basically running the opposite playbook. He's hurt: He spent two days in a walking boot this month, only to turn around and drop 49 points in 50 minutes in Arkansas' double-OT loss to Alabama. It was one of the gutsiest, most impressive individual performances of this draft cycle.
Whereas Peterson's production has fluctuated with his availability, Acuff is basically steamrolling quality opponent after quality opponent in the SEC. He's operating with incredible poise and dynamism, able to get where he wants on the floor, set up teammates and steer the ship for Arkansas even when he's less than 100 percent healthy.
And when asked why he's plays through all the bumps and bruises, Acuff gave the sort of answer you'd expect from a basketball star in the 80s, back when preventive sports medicine was a less established concept.
"The team is more important than myself," he said. "I want to win for them, I want to play with these guys, why not be out there with them? If I feel like I can play through something, I can play."
Darius Acuff tells ESPN why he plays through the pain:
— Tyler Cass (@TVTylerCass) February 26, 2026
"The team is more important than myself. I want to win for them, I want to play with these guys, why not be out there with them? If I feel like I can play through something, I can play" pic.twitter.com/NHQvT06h7W
Is this a bit reckless for a 19-year-old with NBA aspirations? You can certainly make the case. But Acuff is winning over scouts and fans alike with his bullish determination. The intangibles do matter. Teams will interview Acuff and Peterson and ask about the injuries, about their mindset in the face of adversity. All signs point to Acuff acing those interviews far more than Peterson.
There is more to becoming an NBA star than playing through injuries or "leaving it all on the floor" or whatever platitude you want to apply to this situation. Peterson is objectively the better prospect: He's bigger, a far more impactful defender, a more scalable scorer, the all-around more impressive athlete. But talent does not always equal impact, and many an uber-talented prospect have failed to translate the full breadth of their raw abilities to the next level.
Peterson is not DeAndre Ayton or James Wiseman, to be clear. He's not not trying, you know? He really is hurt, and it's hard to penalize a guy operating at 70 percent mobility for not battling through a leg cramp. As that debate rages, however, Acuff provides a shining example of what a lot of folks wish Peterson was like.
John Calipari lobbies for Darius Acuff to win the Wooden Award
John Calipari understandbly holds his star point guard in high esteem. In a recent postgame press conference, the illustrious head coach wondered aloud why Acuff isn't more seriously discussed as a National Player of the Year candidate, despite putting up the type of surface numbers we'd typically associate with that award.
John Calipari on Darius Acuff 👀
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 26, 2026
"I'm a little disappointed, why isn't he in the National Player of the Year equation?... He's doing things in the guts of games. And he's playing when he could probably take some games off. He's playing anyway"pic.twitter.com/Wiq7I9Idbb
He's not wrong, either. Acuff really does have the production and the bonafides to at least earn a passing mention in the awards conversation. FanDuel currently places Acuff's odds at +8000 — a distant third behind fellow freshmen Cameron Boozer (-20000) and AJ Dybantsa (+3500).
It's hard to knock Boozer's case at this point; that canyon-sized gap is not closing in the final weeks of the season. But Acuff has almost flown under the radar in Fayetteville, despite being a projected top-10 pick and a dynamic, high-octane point guard playing under a big name in Calipari. Everything in recent history says we should be gassing up Acuff to an irresponsible degree, yet he often feels like a secondary figure when discussing the best players in college basketball.
Acuff has a 3.2 assit-to-turnover ratio, he's hitting 43.0 percent of his 3s on 5.6 attempts and his offensive box plus-minus (9.5) leads the SEC. He has been stupid good. There are broader concerns about his frame, finishing and mainly his defense when it comes to NBA projection — to be clear, he should not come off the board before Darryn Peterson — but the talent, confidence and production is just impossible to ignore at this point.
Sometimes it's better to compete hard than it is to play well. When you're doing both, it's a beautiful thing.