Kentucky, Indiana join Michigan schools in race to land Acuff

NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. – Darius Acuff took the EYBL by storm this season, and was one of the circuit's leading scorers in the regular season. And while he's still developing the peripheral parts of his game, there aren’t many prospects in the country that can stand toe-to-toe with the Michigan-based guard when it comes to sheer volume scoring.

Rivals recently caught up with Acuff, who is averaging 20.1 PPG for The Family grassroots program this season, for a conversation about where his blossoming recruitment stands.

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ON IF HE’S SURPRISED BY HOW QUICKLY HE RACKED UP OFFERS THIS SPRING:

“It happened quickly, and I guess I’m a little surprised by how quickly it all happened, but I’m not surprised that I got a lot of offers. I expected it to come. I’m confident in myself.”

ON WHAT HE BRINGS TO THE TABLE:

“I’m a guard that controls myself and doesn’t let anyone speed me up. I’m a shot-maker. When it’s time to win, I lock in. I know how to do that.”

ON SCHOOLS THAT HAVE STARTED TRYING TO GET HIM IN ON A VISIT:

“Kentucky, Indiana, Houston, Michigan State and Michigan.”

ON KENTUCKY:

“I talk to both coach [John Calipari] and coach Chin [Coleman]. I talk to one of them every other day. They talk to my dad, too. They just tell me to keep doing what I’m doing.”

ON INDIANA:

“It’s a place I want to check out for sure. They just tell me to keep working and trying to make it feel like family. They don’t want to just talk about recruiting all the time. They want to build a relationship with me and be a family.”

ON MICHIGAN AND MICHIGAN STATE:

“They're both kind of hitting me up the same amount. I grew up a fan of Michigan mostly, but Michigan State, too. Michigan State wants to get me down there on a visit soon. With Michigan, I talked to [Juwan Howard]. We’re kind of like a family. He tells me the same thing everyone else tells me, but we have a good relationship.”

ON WHAT HE’S LOOKING FOR IN A COLLEGE:

"I want to pick a school that is going to get me to the next level – a school that is going to let me play my game, but also correct me on my mistakes. I want coaches to always be 100 with me. I don’t want them to just tell me the stuff I’m doing well.”

It’s difficult to project where Acuff’s recruitment might go in the year ahead, as he’s yet to begin taking visits. Michigan and Michigan State figure to be serious players until the end. Indiana also feels like a good bet to make waves with the five-star guard. Kentucky seems to have positioned itself well, however, and is definitely among the early leaders.