Kings pick Darius Acuff Jr at No 7 in NBA draft

The Sacramento Kings selected Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. with the seventh overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday night, securing a highly touted prospect they hope will become the franchise's cornerstone point guard. The Kings, who have been searching for a lead guard since trading De'Aaron Fox last season, made Acuff their primary target throughout the draft process.

Acuff, 19, averaged 23.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game during his freshman season at Arkansas, leading the SEC in both scoring and assists. He was the first player since Pete Maravich to achieve that feat. His season included a school freshman record 49-point performance in a double-overtime loss to Alabama and 91 points across three SEC Tournament wins, which helped Arkansas secure its first conference title since 2000.

Fans gathered at Golden 1 Center for a draft watch party erupted when the selection was announced. Analysts and his former coach praised the pick. Arkansas coach John Calipari, who has coached numerous NBA lottery picks, called Acuff "a fierce competitor and winner" and said several teams would regret not selecting him. ESPN analyst Jay Bilas described Acuff as the best...