NBA Draft: Jared McCain Explodes For 30 Points

Jared McCain boosted his draft stock while helping send Duke to the Sweet 16.

Mar 24, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain (0) celebrates his three point / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

This season, Jared McCain has repeatedly exceeded expectations. He quickly established himself as one of Duke’s very best players early on, and the freshman Blue Devil hasn’t looked back since. He recorded seven 20-plus point games in the regular season and established himself as a big game performer in his 35-point outing at Florida State last month. He drilled 8 of his 11 attempts from beyond the arc while playing in all but one minute of game action. 

In his biggest game to date, McCain continued this trend against James Madison University in the Round of 32. He once again shot 8-for-11 from deep and grabbed 5 rebounds en route to 30 points. He did most of his work in the first half, converting six treys for 22 points as the Blue Devils ran away with this one early. His shot-making was pristine with some difficult, highly-contested makes. He also made some smart plays out of the pick-and-roll. Had this game been closer, McCain would’ve had the opportunity to run up his stats even more, but as is, he gave Duke all they needed to punch an easy ticket to the Sweet 16.

As of now, McCain’s draft stock isn’t defined, but he’s moved up to top-20 territory on many mock drafts already. This is a little bit higher than his preseason status as a fringe first-round guy. In a draft class largely open towards the top, a big push over the rest of the tournament could surely open the way for McCain to contend for lottery status. 

Moving onto the Sweet 16, the Blue Devils will travel to Dallas to take on the top-seeded Houston Cougars this Friday night. Each impending game of this tournament is the biggest of McCain’s career, and his largest opportunity to bolster his draft stock in front of everyone. This matchup will come against Houston’s elite defense, setting the stage for McCain to impress in loud fashion.

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