The best in the backcourt is off to bigger things.
Freshman guard Jared McCain has declared for the 2024 NBA Draft, he announced Friday morning in an Instagram post. The announcement comes shortly on the heels of fellow starter Mark Mitchell entering the transfer portal and Tyrese Proctor reportedly coming back for a third year.
"Even only being here for one year, I got to see the impact and the power of The Brotherhood, and that’s what made this decision extremely hard," McCain said in the video. "But I’ve always been a dream chaser, I’ve always been one to reach my goals, and that next one is the NBA. So with that being said, I will be entering my name into the 2024 NBA Draft. I’m blessed and honored to be a part of The Brotherhood, and I’ll be a Blue Devil for life."
The Sacramento, Calif., native, Duke’s top recruit in the 2023 class, got off to a bit of a rocky start in Durham. In his first two big games, the shooter was a measly 3-of-13 from the field for a total of nine points, two of which came at the free-throw line. However, it didn’t take him long to heat up. McCain sank 5-of-7 3-pointers in his 17-point performance against Bucknell, and continued to fine-tune his play.
The prominent scorer etched his name into the Blue Devil record books, both tying Zion Williamson's freshman scoring record with his 35 points against Florida State and rewriting the tally for most 3-pointers in a game by a rookie with eight, also against the Seminoles. Against James Madison in the Round of 32, McCain drained eight threes once again, demolishing the previous record of five by a freshman in an NCAA tournament game and the overall program record of seven. He ended up with 30 points that game.
While his offensive numbers tend to be most eye-catching, he deserves defensive kudos as well. At just 6-foot-3, the Centennial product established himself as one of Duke’s most effective rebounders. He hit double digits six times for four double-doubles; even when his triples weren’t falling, he crashed the boards.
McCain made the most of his platform in Durham, building upon the content creation portfolio he established prior to enrollment. The freshman, known for his enthusiastic TikTok videos and bright nail polish, has an NIL valuation of $1.4 million, according to On3. That ranks 13th among all college athletes and second among men’s basketball players, only trailing Bronny James. McCain’s recent deals with beauty brand Sally Hansen and Kardashian apparel line Skims are just the latest in a line of national recognition.
McCain is the first Blue Devil to declare. He is projected as a likely first-round pick.
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Rachael Kaplan is a Trinity junior and sports managing editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.