Jason Burgos
A new rumor suggests that Kansas scoring machine Darryn Peterson may no longer be viewed as the top guard in the 2026 NBA Draft and has lost ground to Arkansas star Darius Acuff, Jr.
With the NBA regular season nearing its conclusion, close to a dozen teams are already in preparation mode for scouting the best prospects expected to be available in June’s draft after beginning tanking strategies in January and February.
A key reason why so many teams started their tanking early is that this year’s draft class may be one of the deepest and talent-rich in a very long time. One player that has the attention of many scouts and NBA execs is Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.
While some questioned his passion and dedication after missing quite a few games this season for a variety of reasons, his potential to jump into the league and make an impact quickly, because he has an NBA-ready game, is undeniable.
Yet, there has even been a great deal of talk that he is still a favorite to go first overall. However, there seems to be a growing movement that sees a different player as the best guard in the 2026 class.
Darius Acuff a new contender to go No. 1 in NBA Draft?
“I’ve certainly heard that some teams are increasingly torn between Peterson and Arkansas guard Darius Acuff on the board’s upper reaches after Acuff’s tremendous performance in the SEC Tournament continued into the NCAA Tournament,” NBA insider Jake Fischer reports.
“Some scouts I’ve talked to have even gone as far as ranking Acuff above Peterson. It certainly doesn’t hurt that John Calipari, for all the concerns raised about Acuff’s size and defense, insists he’s as talented as any freshman guard that he has coached.”
In different NBA mock drafts, teams like the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, and Atlanta Hawks are expected to use their lottery pick on one of the top guards available.
Acuff, Jr. was one of quite a few freshman that had outstanding debut seasons in 2025-26. The Detroit native led Arkansas in points (23.5) and assists (6.4) while adding 3.1 rebounds a night.
