It was not the best week for NBA prospects from the "It Just Means More" conference. Two former SEC stars may slip in the draft next week after the latest intel coming out about ex-Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament and former Arkansas Razorbacks guard Darius Acuff Jr.
The sources certainly varied with the two reports. For Acuff, there's some word of mouth going around about his career at IMG Academy. Meanwhile, there's more concrete reporting on Ament, though nothing is 100% regarding either of their upcoming draft fates next week.
Here are some of the latest SEC headlines from the hardwood:
Jeff Teague shares negative rumors about Darius Acuff Jr.'s attitude
On Thursday, former NBA All-Star Jeff Teague went on the Club 520 Podcast and claimed that Acuff didn't have a good relationship with his teammates. Teague claimed that many front offices have doubts about Acuff's work ethic.
“People questioning his work ethic, they question his circle… they still say he valuable, but they just question. Some of his teammates at IMG didn’t f**k with him," Teague said about Acuff. There weren't any notable quotes on issues in Fayetteville.
Acuff typically lands in the back half of the top 10 in mock drafts. This coming Tuesday, we'll find out if NBA GMs have heard what Teague has heard, and are willing to not take the chance on Acuff after a 23.5 point-per-game effort in the SEC during the 2025-26 season.
Billy Donovan floated for Florida and Kentucky, Trae Young hits NBA free agency
Kevin O'Connor projects Nate Ament to fall out of the lottery
Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor revealed from his source that the Chicago Bulls worked out Ament. O'Connor also heard enough from sources about his stock sliding that he projected Ament to go No. 15, falling out of the lottery.
"The Bulls worked out Ament earlier this month, according to league sources. And though Chicago already has a number of tall, skilled forwards — Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey, and Noa Essengue — there's no harm in adding another one. Players who can handle, shoot off the dribble, and stand at 6-foot-10 don't grow on trees. This physical foundation kept Ament in lottery consideration even after a dreadful start to his freshman season when he struggled to score efficiently and make an impact defensively. But over the second half of the year for Tennessee, he flipped a switch and shots began to fall. He averaged 23.8 points over a six-game stretch in January and February that reminded everyone why he was a top recruit in the country. Then he dealt with an ankle injury that ruined his momentum entering March and he severely struggled during the tournament," O'Connor wrote.
Long-term ankle concerns should be a non-issue for rebuilding teams, but the further he slips, the more questions arise about his shot-making abilities. Still, though, he's shown enough effort on the floor to earn faith from at least one front office in the draft's first half as a six-foot-10 forward who played for top NBA talent developer Rick Barnes on Rocky Top.
We'll see how draft night treats the pair of narrative fallers. Reality may not be as harsh come the 23rd. The slip could just as easily be more dramatic than expected, though. It's draft night, and draft night is a crapshoot.
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