John Calipari didn’t just watch three of his Arkansas players get picked in the NBA Draft. He went on X and made a promise about all of them.
Darius Acuff Jr. went No. 7 to the Sacramento Kings. Meleek Thomas landed at No. 34 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Trevon Brazile went No. 35 to the Denver Nuggets. And Calipari, who has sent dozens of players to the league, said flat out that each one will outperform where they were drafted.
“I think all three of our players will outplay and outperform their draft positions. All three of them. They were all great teammates. They were unselfish, played to win, and the sky is the limit for all three. They are on different paths, but they are going to get the same results,” Calipari posted.
That’s a bold take from a guy who has been doing this a long time. Calipari coached the New Jersey Nets from 1996 to 1999 and has spent the rest of his career turning college kids into pros. His track record is hard to argue with. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, De’Aaron Fox, Tyler Herro — the list is long.
Acuff is the most likely to get minutes right away. Sacramento needs scoring off the bench and he can provide it. Thomas and Brazile will have to fight for rotation spots. Cleveland and Denver are deep teams. But Calipari isn’t worried about the path. He sees the result the same for all three.
This Arkansas team won the SEC Tournament and knocked off Vanderbilt to do it. They also made it to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. That run put these guys on the radar. Acuff was the engine. Thomas brought energy. Brazile anchored the defense. Together they gave Calipari a season that reminded everyone why he left Kentucky.
Last year, Adou Thiero — who played for Calipari at both Kentucky and Arkansas — was drafted No. 36 by the Brooklyn Nets and then traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Thiero’s path shows that Calipari’s guys don’t always land in perfect spots, but they tend to stick around.
Calipari has said over and over that his real mission is helping young players reach the NBA. He doesn’t just recruit. He develops. And now he’s got three more names to add to that long list. Acuff, Thomas and Brazile will get their shot. The coach is betting they’ll make the most of it.
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