East Campus was pulsing with energy as bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshmen arrived at Duke Aug. 19 for move-in. Parents were ushering their kids toward a new collegiate adventure as orientation leaders schlepped bags to rooms. Various Blue Devil faculty and staff were grinning from ear to ear, trying to settle nerves and engage the new students in positive conversations.
There were four greeters who stood out — literally — among the rest: Duke men’s basketball’s “Freshmen Four.” Composed of TJ Power, Sean Stewart, Caleb Foster and Jared McCain, the Blue Devil debutants were out welcoming their classmates as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
“We just love going outside and meeting new people,” McCain said on “The Brotherhood Podcast.” “Us four, we’re really good at [asking] ‘What’s your name? What are you majoring in? How are you doing?’ ... connecting with people.”
This skill of connection and interaction served the group of four well a few months earlier as they met on Duke’s campus for the first time in the summer. Hitting it off instantly, Power, Stewart, Foster and McCain cultivated a close friendship that is evident from miles away and has taken social media by storm. Even on a team that prides itself on culture and chemistry, the freshmen stand out in their brotherhood bond.
So how did this happen?
It started from the very beginning: the recruiting process.
It was Foster who played the initial role in bringing the Freshmen Four to Durham. Lovingly dubbed “C Fos” by his teammates, the Harrisburg, N.C., native committed to Duke mere months after sophomore phenom Kyle Filipowski joined head coach Jon Scheyer’s roster. From there, he became the program’s secret recruiting weapon, helping to draw in the remaining three members of his class of 2027 squad.
“You played a huge role in my commitment,” McCain told Foster on the podcast.
It may be surprising, then, to learn that the Freshman Four did not know each other well in high school beyond crossing paths on tournament circuits. So when they arrived on campus in the summer, building a bond was essential both on and off the court. The freshmen did it with ease.
“I didn’t expect to hit it off as quick as we did. I don’t know why, I was just kind of like, ‘This is Duke. I think it might be more cutthroat,’” Power said at the team’s preseason media day. “But they’ve been great. We have a lot of fun.”
They were fast friends from the start, but their close relationship really blossomed in a place they were all familiar with: the gym. Establishing an early morning routine, the freshmen were in the gym together at 6 a.m. each day, with Power blasting Mariah Carey and other R&B music in the early morning hours as a wake-up call. Using their shared work ethic to push each other, their relationship was built on the solid foundation of determination and drive.
“[It’s great to be around] kids that are willing to go the extra mile just as much as you,” Power said on the podcast.
“It doesn’t even feel right at this point [if we don’t],” Foster added.
Their bond truly took off, though, outside of basketball and working out. Before moving into their suites at Wilson Residence Hall on East Campus, the foursome shared an apartment in the summer that allowed them to dive into relationship-building head-first.
“We’d just come back [to the apartment], sit in the little living room, talk with each other … we would talk for hours sometimes,” Stewart said.
The group, never ones to let their competitive spirits go to waste, were also big fans of board games throughout the offseason. “Uno” defined their summer experience; Stewart and Foster still cannot agree on who won the most games. “Spoons” was a popular one too, but the four of them can agree that McCain was the champion there.
It wasn’t unusual to catch them at Dame’s Chicken and Waffles every Sunday as well, getting out in the Durham community beyond the college bubble.
“Once we stepped on campus and we lived together in the summer, we just formed a great bond; we’re always together,” Stewart said at media day.
When everyone else arrived on campus, however, the buzz surrounding Power, Stewart, Foster and McCain really started to amplify. They began to realize the gravity of their role on campus when people came up to talk and take pictures — even if they were mostly interested in McCain.
“They usually ask us to take pictures of Jared,” Power said on the podcast.
“My camera skills now, I got you,” Foster joked.
The Freshmen Four are not afraid to interact with the community, even as their names become increasingly well known. It’s not uncommon to see them out and about on campus as they recognize their roles as ambassadors of The Brotherhood.
“We’ll just walk around outside talking to people and get food,” Power said. “We’ll go sit with new people in the dining hall and stuff.”
With the start of the school year also came daily reminders that basketball season was looming. While there is a certain level of pressure, the freshmen are ready for the big stage. The thing they are looking forward to most? Duke versus North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
“I accidentally Ubered to a Target in Chapel Hill and I walked in there, and I got booed,” McCain said. “Now I’m locked in.”
“That just fuels us,” Stewart added.
Despite the increasing fame and expectations on their shoulders to perform on a championship-caliber team, these four aren’t letting the moment go to their heads. They are still the same group that gets up in the early hours of the morning to go work out or go the extra mile to beat the elder statesmen in practice. At each of their cores is a similar desire to prove their place at an illustrious basketball institution and not take anything for granted.
Scheyer certainly recognizes the unique nature of his freshman class and its remarkable mixture of talent, work ethic and confidence.
“Those freshmen, man, they get after it. They’re competitive, they have good humility about them too,” Scheyer said at ACC Tipoff. “They put in the work, and I’ve been a lucky guy to coach them.”
While the lights are about to get brighter and the stages bigger, these freshmen are ready for whatever is thrown at them because they have each other. Their bond has grown deeper than on-the-court chemistry or a relationship of necessity during the summer. Power, Stewart, Foster and McCain are truly brothers in every sense of the word.
“The freshmen are some of my favorite people I’ve ever met in my life,” McCain said at media day. “I love all of them.”
When the Blue Devils take the court for their first regular-season contest Monday against Dartmouth, there will be plenty of uncertainties. Who are the starters? What will the rotation be? Is this team championship-capable?
One thing, however, will be for certain. The freshmen will show up locked in and ready to go, and their charismatic bond, translated into on-court chemistry, will quickly strike fear in the college basketball world.
Editor's note: this piece is one of many in The Chronicle's 2023-24 Duke men's basketball preview. Check out the rest here.
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Mackenzie Sheehy is a Trinity sophomore and Blue Zone editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.