John Calipari says NBA teams ‘will regret’ passing on Darius Acuff Jr.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari had a strong message for NBA teams ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft: passing on Darius Acuff Jr. would be a mistake.

Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd before the draft, Calipari offered a glowing endorsement of his freshman point guard, who ultimately became the Sacramento Kings’ selection with the seventh overall pick.

“I think Darius Acuff will go in that league and average 18 [points] and eight [assists], minimum 18 and eight,” Calipari said. “The reason I’m saying it is because he is a terrific passer, and is way faster than people give him credit.”

Coach Cal on The Herd this morning talking about what’s coming when Darius hits the league 🤩 pic.twitter.com/e6D2JeSX15

— Arkansas Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) June 19, 2026

More on Darius Acuff Jr.

Darius Acuff Jr. entered the draft after a sensational lone season at Arkansas. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 23.5 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 44 percent from three-point range.

His dominant campaign earned him SEC Player of the Year, SEC Rookie of the Year, and Consensus All-American honors, making him one of the most decorated prospects in the class.

The Sacramento Kings had been linked to Acuff since the end of March Madness and brought him in for a private workout during the pre-draft process.

Darius Acuff also had a pre-existing connection to Kings general manager Scott Perry, who coached Acuff’s father, Darius Acuff Sr., at Eastern Kentucky in the 1990s.

Calipari shared a story that highlighted the competitiveness that impressed NBA evaluators.

After Arkansas suffered an overtime loss to Alabama on February 18th, with Acuff battling through a painful foot injury and scoring 49 points, the Hall of Fame coach suggested his star guard sit out the following game against Missouri.

“He looks at me, and he said, ‘Do you know we lost?’ And he got up and left,” Calipari recalled. “Like, I’m not sitting now. We just lost the game.”

(Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)

According to Calipari, that mentality is exactly what teams are getting in Acuff.

“What, you don’t want a guy that’s going to give you everything he has? A great teammate, all of that stuff,” Calipari said.

The Arkansas coach acknowledged that the top of the draft–AJ Dybantas, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson–had long been set. “I know, well, one through four is already established,” Calipari said. “Well, that’s okay, that’s okay.”

Why? Because he believes Acuff’s impact will speak for itself quickly.

“When he starts playing, you’ll remember this conversation, and you’re going to regret not taking him,” Calipari said.

Learn more about new Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. by clicking here.

More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports

What is the next Sacramento Kings Offseason Event?

The Sacramento Kings will now set their sights on Day 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft, with action set to resume on Wednesday night in Brooklyn, New York.

Sacramento owns the 34th and 45th picks in the second round, with Mock Drafts predicting they will land a high-upside prospect with the 34th pick–just four selections into the second round.

Last season, the Kings drafted center Maxime Raynaud with the 42nd pick. Raynaud went on to earn NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors.

Be sure to remain locked into Sactown Sports for your Sacramento Kings Draft analysis, breaking news, and much more.

Upcoming Sacramento Kings & NBA Offseason Schedule

• Wednesday, June 24th – NBA Draft (Round 2)
• Tuesday, June 30th – NBA Free Agency negotiation period begins (3 PM PT)
• Saturday, July 4th – Monday, July 6th – California Classic at Golden 1 Center
• Thursday, July 9th – NBA Las Vegas Summer League begins
• Monday, July 13th – Free Agency moratorium ends / signings can become official

Thank you for reading SactownSports.com. Follow us on Twitter and Google News, and subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Related

Kings Don’t Need To Rush To Trade LaVine or SabonisUC Davis Football Ranked No. 6 In Stats Perform Top 25 Preseason PollChristian McCaffrey ranked No. 2 RB in Madden 2749ers sign DL Ogbo Okoronkwo, waive DL’s Givens & SampleTrent Williams ranked among top-5 OT’s in Madden 27Would Russell Westbrook be the perfect mentor for Darius Acuff Jr.?