Class of 2025’s No. 1 high school point guard lists KU, Arkansas among finalists
Darius Acuff, the No. 1-rated point guard in the high school basketball recruiting class of 2025 who made an official visit to Kansas April 19-21, tells Rivals.com he has a current list of KU, Arkansas, Michigan, Houston, Rutgers, Texas and Georgia Tech.
Acuff, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound senior-to-be at IMG Academy in Florida, said at last weekend’s Nike EYBL AAU tournament in Memphis that he wants to announce his college choice prior to the start of his senior season at IMG.
“The Kansas trip was great,” Acuff, who is ranked No. 4 nationally by 247sports.com and No. 9 by ESPN.com and Rivals.com told Rivals.com. “It felt like I knew everyone already. Bill Self is a savage man. He’s a dog. I love Bill Self. He keeps it real with me about everything.”
A native of Detroit, Acuff recently added Michigan to his list of schools following the hiring of Dusty May as replacement for Juwan Howard. Acuff eliminated Kentucky from his list following John Calipari’s departure from UK to Arkansas, a school now high on Acuff’s list.
“I talked to Dusty May,” Acuff said. “It’s a great staff at a great school and I’m definitely still looking at Michigan. That’s my hometown school. I grew up rooting for them always.”
Of Arkansas, a school he will visit May 10-12, he said: “Cal says it’s a great place and that he’s the same old Cal just at a new school. He told me it’s the same mission.”
Acuff played well at last weekend’s tournament in Memphis.
“The top-five junior has easily been the best performing guard on the circuit. He has been an impossible match for any defender guarding him,” wrote Brandon Jenkins of 247sports.com. “At 6-3, he is strong with the ball, elite at changing speeds and has shown excellent touch scoring the ball from all areas on the floor. Whether left open or being tightly guarded, his jumper has been falling and while he may not be the quickest, he has a knack for breaking down a defense to get wherever he needs to on the floor.
“His production comes across as effortless as he has been generating offense with ease throughout his first two days (in Memphis). “
King Grace considers KU, OU, others
King Grace, a 6-4, 185-pound senior-to-be combo guard from Waxahachie (Texas) High, has a list of KU, Oklahoma, TCU, LSU, SMU, Mississippi State and Virginia.
Grace told Rivals.com at last weekend’s Under Armour Association tournament in Rock Hill, South Carolina that he’s made unofficial visits to Mississippi State, LSU and SMU, and is in the process of setting up some official visits.
“I don’t have a dream offer,” Grace, who is ranked No. 35 by 247sports.com, No. 44 by Rivals.com and No. 72 by ESPN.com in the Class of 2025, told Rivals,com. “I never grew up a fan of one particular team. I just watched a lot of different teams, so I’m not waiting on anybody.”
He averaged 22.0 points a game his junior year of high school. He combined for 51 points in his first two games at the Under Armour tourney. Playing for Texas Impact, he scored 33 in his team’s fourth game at the AAU event.
“King Grace is a very competitive player, and that might be the aspect of his game that stood out the most,” Jamie Shaw of On3.com wrote from the Under Armour tourney. “He is aggressive at the point of attack, on both ends of the court. He has excellent anticipation in the passing lanes and uses his speed in the open floor. While he has an interesting release, which ultimately takes his guide hand off the ball for a one-handed release, he knocked down shots when his feet were set or he was able to step into one. Each game I watched, Grace went for over 20 points and had a strong two-way impact on the game.”
Florida forward Jamier Jones has KU in top six
Jamier Jones, a 6-6 senior-to-be small forward from Oak Ridge High School in Orlando, Florida, has narrowed his list of schools to six, according to On3.com.
They are: Kansas, Ohio State, Houston, South Carolina, LSU and Providence.
Jones has said he will announce his college choice on May 12 which is not necessarily positive news for KU. He has made an official visit to Providence and unofficial visits to South Carolina and LSU. He has not visited KU, Ohio State or Houston and has not set up visit dates to either school.
“I’m committing on May 12 no matter what, so if I don’t take the rest of those visits before May 12, then, you know,” Jones told Rivals.com. “Everyone wants me on the wing, and that’s definitely where I feel comfortable. It’s just all about where I’m connecting the most with the staff and the opportunity (for minutes) when that time comes.”
“It (KU) is a blue blood, you can’t go wrong with that for sure,” Jones said of KU in an interview with Joe Tipton of On3.com at Nike EYBL in Memphis.
Jones is ranked No. 16 in the recruiting Class of 2025 by ESPN.com, No. 24 by Rivals.com, No. 32 by 247sports.com.
