And, just like that, Arkansas could become known as college basketball’s new “Point Guard U” in the coming years thanks to John Calipari.
For the second consecutive recruiting class, the Razorbacks have landed the nation’s top-rated point guard after 5-star recruit Darius Acuff Jr.’s commitment on Friday. This comes just a few months after the commitment of Johnuel “Boogie” Fland, who was ranked as the nation’s top point guard in the class of 2024 by On3 and Rivals.
It’s just the most recent stretch in one of the most impressive recruiting feats of modern times:
Adam Finkelstein, a lead recruiting reporter for CBS/247Sports, praised Acuff’s commitment soon after the 247Sports broadcast on which it was announced: “Darius Acuff is the best guard prospect in this class and he is tailor-made for John Calipari. Not just from his game, but from the gravitas, the power, the length, just the certain it-factor that he has with him.”
In another part, he added Acuff “will come in, have the ball in his hands, be able to score the ball in high volume, but also make plays for others. I would expect his defense to continue to improve under Calipari, because we know that’s going to be a non-negotiable.”
This is all fine and dandy, but Finkelstein inadvertently insulted one or two current Razorbacks when he explained almost certainly Acuff will be charged with lead guard duties from day one come next fall and, as he sees it, addresses a hole on the 2024-25 roster: “You look at this Arkansas roster this year under John Calipari, and while they built up a powerhouse this spring, what they don’t have is a true point guard.”
Arkansas Basketball Point Guards
That floor screeching you just heard comes from Fland and DJ Wagner sitting straight up in their chairs.
DJ Wagner was brought to Arkansas as someone who can take over lead ball-handling duties from Fland and Johnell Davis, the Hogs’ potential All-American shooting guard and a projected leader on a team in the running to make the 2025 Final Four according to 1x casino odds.
Last year, as a true freshman, Wagner averaged 3.3 assists in 25.8 minutes per game. While he’s in the combo guard mold, it’s reasonable to think he’s trending toward being more a facilitator on this Razorback team given the plethora of weapons around him and the continued guidance he’ll get from the likes of Tyler Ulis, Kentucky’s best pure point guard of the modern era.
The bigger oversight involves Fland, who from early reports this summer appears to be willing and able to distribute the ball despite his youth. That dovetails with what Jamie Shaw, the On3 recruiting reporter, saw from him in high school: “He sees the floor well, gets his teammates involved, and takes care of the ball, valuing possessions. There is a floater game in there as well, with a one and two dribble pull-up. He will need to continue getting stronger, and he is a solid athlete and has average length… He has a comfort playing on the ball or off the ball in a two-guard lineup.”
Sure, neither Fland nor Acuff will be accused of being pass-first guards, nor should they be given their supreme scoring gifts. But as Shaw’s report indicates, both do plenty of damage spreading the ball around. You can see that in the dimes Acuff throws here:
Finkelstein believes that the best attribute of both guards is their shooting ability, and it’s hard to argue with that.
“Like few other players in high school basketball, [Fland] has an ability to heat up and start making tough shots from long range,” he wrote in his scouting report of the native New Yorker. “However, his willingness to settle for those tough shots can impact his efficiency.”
“Fland has spent most of his high school career playing off the ball, but has developed into a reliable secondary ball-handler who has become increasingly capable of initiating offense with the ball in his hands…”
As a senior at Archbishop Stepinac HS in the Bronx, NY, Fland averaged 19.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.4 steals per game. At IMG Academy as a junior, Acuff averaged 20.4 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Do two assists per game really separate a “true” point guard from a combo guard?
I think there needs to be more separation than that. While neither Fland nor Wagner has yet averaged more than 5 assists per contest, don’t put it past either of them to develop their games to get closer to that range this season.
Finkelstein does have an argument that Arkansas lacks a “true” point guard at this point of the preseason, but it’s more likely than not Fland or Wagner will step into that role as the season unfolds. Perhaps his apparent oversight can motivate them to do just that.
Who’s Next after Darius Acuff?
On Friday, college basketball analyst Aaron Torres pointed out two 5-star forwards he feels are serious possibilities for Arkansas’ class of 2025. First, there’s Koa Peat, whose strength has been likened to Corliss Williamson’s and has a sister who played for UAPB.
“I do think that Arkansas is in the very short conversation with him along with the home state school of Arizona, maybe Duke, maybe one or two others,” Torres says in the podcast below. “I think they’re in better shape for him than most people think.”
Torres is also high on Caleb Wilson, the 6’9″ power forward out of Atlanta who chimes in as the nation’s No. 4 overall recruit on 247Sports Composite.
Torres saw Wilson flash a nice mid-range game and bouncy defensive ability playing alongside the Boozer twins this summer on the AAU circuit.
“What was so impressive was this was a kid that also proved over the summer he can play with other elite players and have success,” Torres adds. “He can play with other elite players and not have to dominate the ball, not have to be the focal point, not have to be ‘Me, me, me’ and take 20 shots.”
“And if you’re going to play for Coach Cal, you got to be able to do that.”
Hear the rest on Acuff, Peat and Wilson from Torres:
More on Darius Acuff and Arkansas basketball here: