Arkansas basketball hasn’t just reloaded under John Calipari, it’s reloaded with star power. In Jonathan Wasserman’s early 2026 NBA mock draft, two Razorbacks guards are projected to go in the first round: Meleek Thomas and Darius Acuff Jr. Both were five-star recruits and major recruiting victories for Calipari, but Wasserman’s board places Thomas ahead of Acuff, flipping the order many high-school rankings had.
Thomas, once viewed as the slightly less polished prospect, is slotted at No. 16 to the Golden State Warriors. Acuff, who entered college rated higher by most services, is projected to go No. 21 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.