Top-10 recruit Darius Acuff commits to John Calipari and Arkansas - ESPN

Top-10 senior Darius Acuff, one of the elite guards in high school basketball, announced his commitment to John Calipari and Arkansas on Friday — becoming the first five-star prospect off the board in the 2025 class.

Acuff chose the Razorbacks over Kansas, with Michigan also on his final list of three. The Jayhawks were perceived to be the favorite back in the spring, with Acuff taking a visit to Lawrence in late April. But Calipari made him a priority over the past several weeks and ultimately won out.

«We have a great relationship. We have been tight for a year and half,» Acuff said of Calipari. «Growing up I knew what type of guard coach he was. He built the best relationship with me. He keeps it real. It's like he is already your coach when you speak with him. He has been there from the start. That was a separator. History speaks for itself. All the guards he has put in the league. I want to be part of that.»

Acuff took a visit to Arkansas' campus in May.

«I spent a lot of time on my visit with Coach Cal, Coach Chin [Coleman] and the staff,» he said. «I saw how hard he coached Rob Dillingham at Kentucky. He pushes his guys and encourages them too. So, when they get in the game, they know what to do.»

«When he first offered me last year, our first conversation stuck in my mind. [Calipari said,] 'I knew of you, but I had never seen you play. Then I watched you and said I got to have you.'»

A 6-foot-2 native of Detroit who attends IMG Academy (Florida), Acuff is the No. 2 point guard and No. 10 overall prospect in the ESPN 100 for 2025. He averaged 23.9 points — second in the competition — and 3.6 assists for The Family on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring, and then started all six games for the USA Basketball under-18