Calipari’s Prime Point Guard Target Dominates International Tournament

Top point guard shows out during FIBA competition

One of John Calipari’s main targets for 2025 had a dominant showing during the FIBA U18 AmeriCup 2024. Darius Acuff was named the MVP of the games following a 110-70 victory against Argentina over the weekend. In the gold medal-winning performance, Acuff scored 26 points, dished out nine assists, grabbed six rebounds, and forced three steals.

The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 18 points per game along with five rebounds, four assists, and one steal over six games, shooting an efficient 47% from the field.

In a victory over Belize, Acuff was electric in only 13 minutes of action. He scored 23 points (9-12 FGs) and dished out five assists during America’s 96-point victory.

He is considered a 5-star prospect by three of the four main recruiting services. 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN all rank him in the top 10 in the nation, and he is regarded as either the No. 1 or No. 2 point guard in the class of 2025.

Acuff currently holds 21 scholarship offers from schools around the country, including Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, UConn, Houston, LSU, Michigan, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio State, Rutgers, and others. He has recently visited the Razorbacks and Jayhawks this offseason, with those two programs currently perceived as leaders in his recruitment. Kentucky was in the mix early on until Calipari made his way to Fayetteville from Lexington.