Photo credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
Duke Basketball Freshman Guard Jared McCain Snags National Honor
On Tuesday afternoon, emerging Duke basketball perimeter weapon Jared McCain was named the CBS Sports/United States Basketball Writers Association Freshman of the Week.
In Wednesday night's 78-70 win over then-10th-ranked Baylor in Madison Square Garden, the former five-star recruit from California helped power the now-No. 16 Blue Devils (8-3, 0-1 ACC) with his game-high 21 points (tying the career-high he posted in a win over Charlotte on Dec. 9).
Against the Bears, McCain shot 7-for-11 from the field, 3-for-6 beyond the arc, and 4-for-4 at the charity stripe, adding two rebounds, three assists, and one steal across his 36 minutes on the floor.
That big-time victory, the first against a top-10 team in the two seasons of the Jon Scheyer era, was Duke basketball's only outing last week. But it was enough for the 6-foot-3, 195-pound McCain to earn the distinction as the nation's premier rookie for the week.
Jared McCain, an upbeat 19-year-old who has started all 11 games for the Blue Devils this season and doubles as a TikTok sensation with over two million followers, is Duke's fourth-leading scorer at 10.5 points per game (one of five on the roster averaging double figures).
And McCain leads the squad in 3-point makes, shooting 44.9 percent from deep on 4.5 attempts per contest.
He and the Blue Devils enjoy a three-game winning streak heading into their home bout against Queens at 2 p.m. ET Saturday (The CW).
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.
