In 2023-24, Duke went to Florida State and while the Blue Devils were favored, Tyrese Proctor had to stay home due to a concussion.
As it turned out, it wasn’t much of a problem because Jared McCain picked that game as a chance to shine.
McCain finished with 35 points, shooting 12-20 and 8-11 on three pointers. Good thing, because FSU gave Duke a pretty good game, losing just 76-67.
After the win, coach Jon Scheyer said “[h]e’s wired to wear a Duke uniform…“J.J. [Redick] should watch out.”
And indeed,
McCain passed Redick’s freshman high of 34 and tied Duke’s all-time freshman scoring performance, by Zion Williamson in 2019. McCain’s eight threes were just one shy of tying Duke’s single-game record as well.
McCain went on to become the 16th pick of the 2024 NBA draft and was a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year before a knee injury ended his season prematurely.
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