As a statistical monster for the nation’s top-ranked group, Duke star Cameron Boozer is in all probability going to be all people’s nationwide participant of the 12 months, and deservedly so. He’s been unimaginable for an unimaginable group.
He’d get my vote this morning.
But if the query is about which participant is finest geared up to place a group on his shoulders and take it someplace within the NCAA Tournament bracket that exceeds his group’s season and seed, that dude is Darius Acuff Jr. The freshman at Arkansas went huge once more Friday. He took 21 pictures, made 11 of them and completed with 37 factors, 5 assists and 5 rebounds in an 82-79 win over Oklahoma that probably popped the Sooners’ bubble whereas advancing the Razorbacks to Saturday’s semifinals of the SEC Tournament.
“I do know he is been in comparison with lots of NBA guys, as he ought to,” Oklahoma coach Porter Moser mentioned heading into his quarterfinal matchup with Acuff and Arkansas. “He just has like that Derrick Rose, Allen Iverson speed — with power. And he makes the right pass. For a young guy, he doesn’t get sped-up too much. He can score at all three levels. He can get to the rim at ease. He can hit you and get some separation on a pull-up. And he’s got deep range. He’s phenomenal.”
How many SEC coaches do we have to hear say one thing like this about Acuff earlier than all of us correctly recognize what we’re watching? (Here’s what Texas coach Sean Miller mentioned about Acuff final week.) The projected top-10 decide within the 2026 NBA Draft is now averaging 22.7 factors and 6.4 assists for an Arkansas group that is fifteenth in Saturday morning’s up to date CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 every day faculty basketball rankings, the place Duke stays No. 1 for the twenty first consecutive day following Friday’s win over Clemson.
Duke will now meet Virginia within the championship recreation of the ACC Tournament in certainly one of three power-conference title video games scheduled for Saturday. The others are Arizona-Houston within the Big 12 Tournament and St. John’s-UConn within the Big East Tournament.
