Duke basketball didn't quite finish the 2023-24 season how it hoped. After defeating top-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils faced off with upstart North Carolina State with a berth to the national semifinals on the line.
Duke, obviously, came up short against their in-state rivals, failing to advance to the first Final Four of the Jon Scheyer era. Don't blame Jared McCain for his team falling to its underdog in-state rivals in the Elite Eight, though. The Blue Devils' freshman star played arguably the best game of his college career when it mattered most, dropping 32 points and five triples as Duke's season ended with a disappointing 76-64 loss.
Though McCain's epic performance wasn't enough to lead the Blue Devils to victory, his effort opened the eyes of NBA scouts even further. Billed as a likely first-round pick heading into his freshman season, McCain is now due lottery consideration in the 2024 NBA Draft.
The former five-star high-schooler has until April 27th to submit his name for June's draft. While he's yet to make a decision one way or another, going back to Durham for his sophomore season and fighting for a championship alongside the Blue Devils' star-studded incoming recruiting class—headlined by No. 1 prospect Cooper Flagg—is clearly an appealing option for McCain.
“Leaving a legacy wherever I go is something I always pride myself on,” he said of potentially returning to Duke, per Pete Nakos of On3. “And I’ve always prided myself on just working hard and making sure people know that I actually care about this because a lot of stuff can get lost in translation because of social media. So, it’s definitely in consideration, for sure. That’s why I came here – to win a national championship.”
Cooper Flagg headlines Duke's epic 2024 recruiting class
McCain, however, won't be making his draft decision based solely on the presence of Flagg and the Maine superstar's fellow freshman. While he admitted it would be “super cool” to play with Flagg, who he's met twice before, McCain insisted it wouldn't weigh heavily in his draft decision.
As much as the Blue Devils would miss McCain's dynamic all-court shooting next season, they'll be top-tier national title contenders even if he takes his talents to the next level. Why? Flagg projects as one of the best two-way players in college basketball, blending outstanding physical tools and otherworldly defensive instincts with burgeoning shot-making prowess and all-around creation ability on the other end.
Flagg isn't the generational NBA prospect on the level of Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James, but could very well follow in the footsteps of Zion Williamson and Anthony Davis as surefire No. 1 picks in June 2025. Rutgers incoming freshman Ace Bailey is likely the do-it-all forward's greatest competition to be drafted first overall next year. If he's not, Flagg's freshman teammate Khaman Maluach, a towering center from South Sudan, could also be selected in the top-two of the 2025 draft.
Flagg and Maluach only account for two of Duke's five top-20 recruits in the class of 2024. Versatile wing Isiah Evans, sharpshooter Kon Knueppel polished big man Patrick Ngongba II round out Scheyer's top-ranked recruiting class, giving the Blue Devils one of the best collections of first-year talent in NCAA history.
McCain's return to Durham could make Duke a shoo-in national title favorite next season. Either way, with Flagg coming to town, expect the Blue Devils to be front and center in the college basketball world in 2024-25.
Follow Us
Subscribe