Darius Acuff Jr. isn’t just another top prospect in the 2026 NBA Draft. According to a former two-time ACC Coach of the Year, the Arkansas Razorbacks guard might be the closest thing to a Knicks icon we’ve seen in years.
During a segment on NBA on ESPN, Seth Greenberg dropped a comparison that’s already generating buzz around the league. Greenberg sees Acuff’s game as a mirror image of New York Knicks star and NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson — and he didn’t hold back on the reasons why.
“He brings to the NBA a winning player,” Greenberg said of Acuff. “He reminds me a lot of Jalen Brunson. You talk about his size, his body type, his ability to deliver in the clutch, his ability to manipulate the defense, change speeds, change direction, and [he has] that big chip on his shoulder.”
The comparison is bold, but the resemblance is hard to shrug off. Both guards stand somewhere around 6-foot-2 to 6-foot-3. Both have a knack for attacking the rim and a sixth sense for when to score versus when to dish. It’s the kind of two-way vision that turns good college players into pro cornerstones.
A Year That Demanded Attention
Acuff’s freshman campaign at Arkansas was nothing short of dominant. The superstar guard led the SEC in minutes per game (35.1), which translated into a stat line that left scouts scrambling for superlatives: 23.5 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per contest. He shot 48.4 percent from the floor and a blistering 44.0 percent from beyond the three-point line.
Those numbers didn’t just lead the conference in scoring and assists — they cemented his status as a potential top-10 pick. In ClutchPoints’ latest 3.5 NBA Mock Draft, insider Brett Siegel projects Acuff going No. 6 overall to the Brooklyn Nets.
Of course, nothing is set in stone until draft night on June 23. But Greenberg’s comp frames Acuff less as a one-year wonder and more as a prospect wired for winning at the next level. If the Brunson comparisons hold up, some team is going to get a steal in the top half of the first round.
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