Duke basketball guard declares for NBA Draft after freshman season
One of the key pieces of the Duke Blue Devils’ backcourt is jumping into the NBA waters.
Jared McCain, who electrified audiences with his play on the court, and with his vibrant social media presence off the court, announced Friday morning on Instagram that he will enter his name in the 2024 NBA Draft after one season at Duke.
“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 his post. “But I’ve always been a dream chaser, I’ve always been wanting to reach my goals, and that next one is the NBA. With that being said, I will be entering my name in the 2024 NBA Draft.”
McCain started all 36 games for the Blue Devils this season as Duke (27-9) reached the Elite 8 of the NCAA Tournament before bowing out to the Cinderella N.C. State Wolfpack.
McCain was second on the team with 31.6 minutes player per game, and second in scoring at 14.3 points per contest. He scored 35 points in a 76-67 win at Florida State on Feb. 17 and 30 in Duke’s 93-55 NCAA Tournament second-round win over James Madison on March 24. In both games, McCain sank 8 of 11 3-point attempts.
“Today I’m filled with such gratitude and appreciation for my life, for everything that’s been brought to me this year,” McCain said in his post. “I want to thank the coaching staff, my family, my teammates for everything they’ve done for me this year.”
Because of his shooting and ball-handing skills, McCain is projected as a first-round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Sophomore forward Kyle Filipowski, who led Duke in scoring and rebounding for the second consecutive season, joined McCain in declaring for the NBA on Friday.
McCain arrived at Duke with a robust social media following in the millions thanks to TikTok dance videos and his painted fingernails. That also drew him negative attention. But he quickly proved to be a showman on the court as well with his 3-point shooting.
In a separate social media post, he called his lone season at Duke “the best year of my life.”
“Thank you for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me through everything this year,” McCain said. “I know the TikToks and nail painting is different and hard to look past for some but I really played every game like it was my last and worked everyday to try and represent that Duke jersey correctly. Most importantly, thank you for allowing me to be myself. I hope and pray I was able to spread some joy and positivity while watching me play. I love Duke.”
For Duke, McCain’s departure is softened by Tyrese Proctor’s decision to stay with the Blue Devils for his junior season. A 6-5 point guard who started 59 games the last two seasons, Proctor informed the coaching staff of his plans to stay in school another year, according to sources familiar with the situation. He has yet to publicly announce his decision.
The Blue Devils also have Caleb Foster, a 6-5 guard who played in 27 games with 15 starts as a freshman last season, lined up to be part of their backcourt next season. Foster missed Duke’s final nine games due to a stress fracture in his right ankle.
McCain is the third player from this year’s team to announce plans to leave the program. Mark Mitchell, a 6-9 starting forward, and Christian Reeves, a 7-1 reserve center, both entered their names in the NCAA Transfer Portal.
The Blue Devils have the nation’s No. 1-ranked recruiting class arriving this summer. The new players include two players projected to be top-five picks in the 2025 NBA Draft in 6-9 forward Cooper Flagg and 7-1 center Khaman Maluach.
Three players from the class who could help fill McCain’s perimeter scoring are 6-5 Darren Harris, 6-5 Kon Knueppel and 6-6 Isaiah Evans.
