BASKETBALL

Who is Jared McCain? What to know about Duke basketball freshman phenom, TikTok star

Ehsan Kassim
USA TODAY NETWORK

March Madness fans have gotten to know Duke basketball star Jared McCain on the court, especially coming off a dominant second-round performance against James Madison.

The freshman sensation has led 4 seed Duke (26-8, 15-5 ACC) to the Sweet 16 round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament, with a matchup against 1 seed Houston (32-4, 15-3 Big 12) on Friday. McCain scored 30 points — the second-highest total of his career — shooting 10 for 15 from the field and 8 for 11 from 3-point range in a 93-55 Blue Devil victory over the Dukes in second-round action. The freshman has 14 3-points through two games in the NCAA Tournament.

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But for those not in tune with social media, McCain isn't just a star on the basketball court; he's also a star on TikTok. He already has gained 2.6 million followers on his account, which he created as a freshman in high school. He has continued to use it to become a star of a completely different variety for his dances and videos. But he still keeps his concentration on the court.

“He’s got this live personality off the court — (but) when he gets on the court, it’s like a switch,” Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer told The Athletic in an October 2023 interview. “Like, he steps over that line, and he’s as good of a competitor as there is. He’s cutthroat, he’s intense. He always has energy. He’s always talking. He’s incredibly refreshing to coach.”

Here's more information on who McCain's TikTok fame, as well as his stats, recruiting and more:

Jared McCain was TikTok star before playing for Duke basketball

According to The Atheltic, McCain's first video was of himself and a high school friend "trying to synchronize some basic choreography." The clip was just 11 seconds long, and garnered 44,000 views. Since then, McCain has used his TikTok to gain more fame, as evidenced by his over 2.5 million followers and 129 million likes.

One video of him with USC freshman Bronny James — the son of NBA star LeBron James — has both stars dancing at midcourt of the McDonald’s All-American Game on March 23, 2023. The video clip has over 13 million views.

Scheyer, who is in his second year as the Blue Devil coach and is 36 years old, said he knows his star player is popular on the social media app.

“I’m not on TikTok,” Scheyer told The Athletic in October. “I get videos sent to me, though, so I know what he’s putting out there.”

REQUIRED READING:Duke basketball trying to stay loose ahead of physical Sweet 16 battle with Houston

As comes with the social media scene and media scrutiny in 2024, McCain has faced criticism for posting on TikTok during the season. The Blue Devils won 26 games and finished second in the ACC behind 1 seed UNC. But that hasn't stopped fans from critiquing his decision to continue to be prominent on social media.

McCain has posted four videos since the second-round victory vs. James Madison, including one in which he paints his nails white on one hand and blue on another. He explained in his video on Thursday that he likes to apply nail polish so it helps him restrain himself from biting his nails.

“There were definitely some times during the season where I was like, 'Why? Why am I getting hated on?' All I’m doing is dancing and smiling, just trying to spread some positivity — but they’ll find a way to hate,” McCain told The Athletic. “You’ve got to realize that it’s just them projecting their insecurities, and them wanting what you have. But it’s been a humbling experience trying to be humble and stay humble, and not respond.”

Jared McCain stats

McCain is averaging 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game while shooting 46.5% shooting from the field and 41.5% from 3-point range. The 30-point outing against James Madison was his second career 30-point performance and his eighth 20-point performance. He scored his career-high (35 points) on Feb. 17 on the road against Florida State. He also shot 8 for 11 from 3-point range vs. the Seminoles.

Because of his strong performance as a freshman, McCain was named to the Kyle Macey National Freshmen All-America Team, and is a finalist for Freshman Of The Year.

REQUIRED READING:Duke basketball vs Houston prediction: Who has edge in 2024 NCAA Tournament Sweet 16?

Jared McCain recruit ranking

McCain was a five-star coming out of Centennial High in Corona, California. According to 247Sports' Composite rankings, the 6-foot-2 combo guard was the No. 13 overall recruit in the 2023 class, the No. 3 combo guard and the top-rated player coming out of California. McCain committed to the Blue Devils over offers from Kansas, Louisville and Gonzaga, among others.

He joined a class that also included five-star power forward TJ Power, as well as four-star power forward Sean Stewart and four-star point guard Caleb Foster. All four players were among the top 23 players in the class, per 247Sports recruiting rankings.

Jared McCain draft mocks

Below is a look at where McCain lands in various industry mock drafts: