5-Star PG Darius Acuff Jr. Won’t Commit to UConn; Kansas, Arkansas Among Finalists

Doric SamJuly 17, 2024

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After including UConn in his list of finalists last month, 5-star point guard Darius Acuff Jr. reportedly won’t be spending his college career with the two-time defending national champion.

Basketball insider Adam Zagoria confirmed a report from Joe Tipton of On3.com that Acuff is no longer considering UConn as of Wednesday. His list is now down to Kansas, Arkansas and Michigan.

Joe Tipton @TiptonEditsDespite including UConn in his list of finalists, 5⭐️ Darius Acuff says he likely won’t be considering the back-to-back champs on commitment day. The No. 1 ranked PG in 2025 discusses Arkansas, Kansas, and Michigan as he inches towards a decision (On3+): https://t.co/aRlYowPDVH https://t.co/6cjx0KXYVO pic.twitter.com/jO2PXIxTYY

A 6’3″ point guard out of IMG Academy in Florida, Acuff is ranked as the No. 1 point guard in the 2025 class by 247Sports’ composite. 247Sports’ director of scouting Adam Finkelstein describes him as “the most dominant and dynamic lead guard in the class, who plays with outward confidence.”

When asked about a potential timeline for his college decision, Acuff told Tipton, “After [Peach Jam] for sure. Either after this tournament or first or second week of August.” Peach Jam began on July 13 and will conclude this Sunday.

While discussing the three remaining schools on his list, Acuff mentioned each head coach as the key factor in his decision. He called Kansas head coach Bill Self “a legend” and said he enjoyed his two visits to the university. He praised Arkansas head coach John Calipari for how he “coaches his guards. All his guards go to the league.”

The Detroit native added that Michigan “feels like home” and praised newly hired head coach Dusty May for how he “lets his guards hoop.” He made it clear that he wants to go to a school that has a strong coaching pedigree so he can learn and have the best brought out of him as he prepares to pursue his dream of making it to the NBA.

“Definitely a coach that’s going to tell me right from wrong. Not someone that’s just going to baby me. A coach that’s going to get me to the next level for sure,” Acuff said of the deciding factor in his commitment. “A coach that’s going to coach me the hardest out of anybody. But also letting me hoop, for sure. That starts with me though, doing my work in practice. I’m definitely looking for a coach like that.”