Duke Basketball One-And-Done Gives Squad Reason for Optimism

All of a sudden, Duke basketball gem Jared McCain is making 20-point outings look routine.

Former Duke basketball guard Jared McCain / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Duke basketball product Jared McCain is averaging 25.5 points across his past four games, including a career-high 34 points for the Philadelphia 76ers (2-9) on Wednesday night.

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Granted, McCain's fourth straight performance with at least 18 points came in a 114-106 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers (13-0). That said, it's not as though anyone else in the NBA has figured out how to defeat Cleveland this season.

The mere 20-year-old McCain, who came off the board No. 16 overall at the 2024 NBA Draft following his sensational one-and-done campaign in Durham, played a team-high 38 minutes in the contest. He shot 12-for-26 from the field, 6-for-13 from three, and 4-for-4 at the foul line, adding two rebounds, 10 assists, and two steals.

Appearing in all 11 outings thus far for the 2024-25 Philadelphia 76ers, albeit with limited minutes off the bench before his recent surge, McCain is now posting 13.5 points, 2.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.0 turnovers per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the field, 38.5 percent beyond the arc, and 100.0 percent at the charity stripe.

McCain and the Sixers next face a road bout against the Orlando Magic (7-6) at 7 p.m. ET Friday. The Magic remains without the services of its two Duke basketball talents: Paolo Banchero (oblique) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot).

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