It is that time of year again. NBA teams are grinding through the final stretch and are prepping for the playoffs. Meanwhile, college hoops is all about March Madness. Right in the middle of it, Arkansas Razorbacks freshman Darius Acuff Jr. just picked up some big praise from super agent Rich Paul.
Rich Paul’s Unique Praise for Darius Acuff Jr.
On the latest episode of the “Game Over” podcast, NBA analyst Max Kellerman kicked things off by breaking down Acuff’s recent games.
“I look at Acuff, and go ‘that dude could be the best player on a championship team.'” Kellerman said during the podcast.
Paul followed that up with strong praise of his own. He didn’t just agree, but he doubled down and even described Acuff as “A-Tough.”
“But here’s the thing. His name is no longer Darius Acuff. It is Darius ‘A-Tough.'” Paul added.
Paul didn’t stop there either. He explained that Acuff’s value goes beyond scoring. According to him, what makes the Arkansas guard special is his ability to read the game.
“People get so caught up in scoring points… Rashad’s been telling me about Darius Acuff. He is a mentor. He is like an uncle to him… he has been telling about him forever, right? His dad, they deserve all the flowers for what is happening for the young man.”
“But people are just catching on to it, and they are looking at the box score and saying that he is the best player because of the points. No. You have to see how he’s playing the game. Making the reads, how he is playing on both ends of the floor,” Paul explained further.
“I look at Acuff, and go ‘that dude could be the best player on a championship team.'”
“People… look at the box score and saying, ‘oh, he’s the best player because of points.’ No. You have to see how he’s playing the game.”
– BIG praise for No. 5 🗣️🗣️pic.twitter.com/SYT2GA5fX6
— TorresOnArkansas (@TorresOnTheHogs) March 17, 2026
It’s not just analysts or agents noticing this. The wider basketball world has also started to take note of what Acuff is doing this season.
Recently, he was named to the AP All-American First Team. He became only the second player in Arkansas Razorbacks history to achieve that honor, following Corliss Williamson. On top of that, Acuff swept major SEC honors. He was named SEC Player of the Year as well as SEC Freshman of the Year.
Across 33 games, Acuff has averaged 22.9 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.2 rebounds. More importantly, he has helped lead Arkansas to a 26-8 record and guided them to their first SEC Tournament championship since 2000.
Moreover, in that title game, Acuff put up a double-double with 30 points and 11 assists. His performance earned him the tournament MVP award as Arkansas defeated Vanderbilt 86-75 to secure the title and an NCAA Tournament berth.
Now, with the 2026 NBA Draft on the horizon, the big question is whether Paul ends up as Acuff’s agent.
