Five-star point guard Darius Acuff Jr. will report to Fayetteville in a few short months to start his college career, but he had some prior business to attend to at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday night.
Acuff played with Team USA against Team World, and the game featured some of the nation's top players. Guys like BYU signee A.J. Dybantsa, five-star forward Nate Ament and Duke signees Cameron and Cayden Boozer all suited up along Acuff for Team USA, which won 124-114 in overtime
The future Razorback finished with 24 points, which was tied with Dybantsa for a team-high. He did so on a really efficient 64.3% from the field and went 4-of-8 from three-point land, and added four rebounds, three assists and a steal as well.
It was clear in the first half which team wanted to win more, and it was Team World. They had a much stronger effort and got a lot of good looks close to the rim and led 53-44 at the half. Baylor signee Tounde Yessoufou, who the Razorbacks might see inside Bud Walton Arena next season, led Team World with nine points.
Out of the halftime break, though, Team USA picked things up and, thanks to five straight points by Acuff, tied the game. They continued to flex their athleticism and shot-making ability to pull ahead 81-68 by the end of the third quarter.
Team USA build their lead up to 16 points in the fourth quarter, but Team World stormed back and went on a 15-0 run in roughly two minutes to cut the lead to just one point with a little over three minutes remaining.
Acuff stopped the bleeding with a floater to give Team USA a 94-91 lead with two minutes remaining, but three free throws the next time down the floor by Team World tied it up. On the very next possession, Acuff passed the ball to Dybantsa, who made the extra pass to Cameron Boozer who drained a corner three.
The game did not end there, though. Acuff had the ball stripped by Yessoufou, who slammed it home on the other end to bring the score to 97-96. Yessouffou missed the next time down the floor and Team USA got the rebound.
On Team World's last possession of regulation, Yessoufou glided past Acuff to lay the ball in to send the game to overtime.
On the first play of overtime, Acuff lobbed an alley-oop to Cameron Boozer, and then drained a three from the wing to push Team USA up 103-98. He added another layup off a steal as Team USA pulled away with the win.
Things were quiet for Acuff in the first half, but he turned it up a notch when it mattered most and added another win under his belt before he gets to Arkansas to start his college career.
