Why Arkansas' Darius Acuff Jr. 'Is Polarizing For' Scouts amid Latest NBA Mock Draft Predictions

Arkansas star Darius Acuff Jr. is undoubtedly one of the top players in this year's draft class, but where exactly he'll land in the draft is still being questioned.

ESPN's Jeremy Woo reportedly Acuff "is polarizing for scouts," while predicting him to land with the Sacramento Kings at No. 5.

"Acuff is polarizing for scouts due to his lack of defensive impact, but there's little doubt about his ability to score and make plays," Woo wrote. "Whichever team selects him will have to build the right defensive infrastructure around him to have a chance at contending. General manager Scott Perry is a Detroit native like Acuff and will presumably take a long look at him."

The Athletic's Sam Vecenie reported in March that teams "have some trepidation about Acuff" because of his defense, so it's clear teams are hesitant to take him early on.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projects Acuff to go sixth overall to the Los Angeles Clippers in his latest mock draft.

Acuff, the SEC Player of the Year, put up 23.5 points and 6.4 assists per game in his sole season with the Razorbacks. While his offense should translate to the NBA level, he struggled enough on defense this year to the point where some teams may not be able to look past it.