Darius Acuff Jr. wants to be the next Jalen Brunson: A star with more heart than height

playArkansas freshman guard Darius Acuff Jr. declares for 2026 NBA draft (1:32) The basketball world is watching as Jalen Brunson tries to lead the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in a half-century. Among them? Another point guard on a mission to become the league's next All-Star with more heart than height. Darius Acuff Jr. grew up watching film of Allen Iverson and Stephon Marbury, dreaming about starring in highlight reels of his own. "We feel like we can go out there and play against anybody," Acuff told ESPN about the mentality of 6-foot-2 Brunson. "I feel like I can hopefully do the same thing one day and it's definitely inspiring to see." If Brunson has reopened the NBA's door to smaller guards, Acuff -- who measured 6-foot-2 without shoes at the May combine -- hopes to rip it off its hinges. The projected lottery pick became the first player since "Pistol" Pete Maravich in the late 1960s to lead the SEC in both points (23.5 PPG) and assists (6.4 APG) during his lone season at Arkansas. He demonstrated excellence in every area -- shooting, passing, dribbling -- to raise his projection from mid-first-round to borderline top-five. He also looks like a lost NFL free safety wandering a basketball court at 186 pounds with a 6-foot-7 wingspan. Like Brunson, Acuff is an anomaly -- a skilled offensive phenom in a game that favors bigger ball handlers. It's no wonder they share a mindset reminiscent of the mentality of the Black Mamba, Kobe Bryant. "My game speaks for itself," Acuff said at the draft combine. "I just want to go out there and kill every night." Darius Acuff Jr. was projected at No. 6 to the Brooklyn Nets in ESPN's latest mock draft. Carmen Mandato for ESPNBrunson entered the league nearly a decade ago with two NCAA titles to his name -- as a second-round pick. He was an immediate contributor for the Dallas Mavericks and later became an All-Star in New York, where he bucked expectations about what a player of his size could accomplish. Having that model to follow may have positioned Acuff to avoid some of the early hurdles Brunson encountered. And if Acuff succeeds, he could leave the door Brunson opened ajar for more players with similar measurables and aspirations. "I think Acuff can open some eyes in the NBA," one Western Conference scout told ESPN. "Brunson has kind of brought back the smaller, scoring, tough physical point guard that can lead a team. And Acuff has some of those traits. He might even have a little more." He debuted at No. 12 in ESPN's first mock for the 2026 NBA draft, so before Arkansas' season tipped off, he circled all the games that doubled as opportunities to prove himself against other top prospects -- especially those ranked higher than him. First came his 21-point performance on 4-for-8 shooting from 3 in a late-November comeback attempt against Cameron Boozer (35 points) and Duke. A few days later, he followed that up with 17 points and 10 assists in a win over Mikel Brown Jr. (22 points, five assists) and Louisville. A few weeks after that, Acuff dropped 27 points against Kingston Flemings (21 points) and Houston. When the conference schedule began in January, Acuff more than doubled Nate Ament's 13 points with 29 of his own against Tennessee. Then in mid-February, Acuff bested Labaron Philon Jr.'s 35 points with 49 in a double-overtime loss to Alabama. "The peace was knowing, 'Okay, we're going to play against all of these Elite Eight teams ... It's going to play out on the floor the way it's supposed to,'" Justin Haynes, Acuff's agent, told ESPN about the prospect's mindset going into the campaign. With each oh-my-goodness performance, Acuff rose in the mocks as decision-makers at the next level began to consider his star power more than his stature, especially with his ability to stretch the floor as an elite 3-point shooter (44% at Arkansas). "I think the basketball world is starting to rotate back to the point guard, and I think the NBA needs that type of guard back," said Rashad Phillips, Acuff's manager, mentor and trainer. "I think teams are missing that. I feel like teams are playing without quarterbacks in the NBA. They've excluded the quarterback and they're just playing with wide receivers." The matter of Acuff's size has also hummed in the background of his valuation process, with recent NBA drafts placing a premium on bigger prospects. Only 11 of the 30 players 6-foot-3 or shorter drafted since 2016 cracked the top 10, placing Acuff in rare company, per ESPN Research. According to CraftNBA.com, only 52 of 434 current NBA players are 6-foot-2 or smaller. Still, Acuff's expansive skill set could be enough of a foundation for him to excel as a pro. "For a guard like Acuff, he has the ability to get in the paint as well as be able to punish defenses from the perimeter," one Eastern Conference executive said. "Having a skill like being able to shoot the 3 off the bounce is a highly regarded skill for smaller guards in the

Darius Acuff Jr. wants to be the next Jalen Brunson: A star with more heart than height

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