NCAA Tournament: Duke basketball lands another 5-star recruit ahead of CS Fullerton win

Chapel Fowler, Greenville News
·2 min read
Dec 11, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Centennial High School forward Jared McCain dribbles against Sunnyslope High School at Footprint Center.
Dec 11, 2021; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Centennial High School forward Jared McCain dribbles against Sunnyslope High School at Footprint Center.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Minutes before tipping off its first-round NCAA Tournament win against Cal State Fullerton on Friday, Duke basketball got some good news off the court.

Five-star 2023 recruit Jared McCain has committed to the Blue Devils and coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer over fellow finalist Gonzaga, he told ESPN. McCain, a junior at Centennial High School in Corona, California, ranks as the No. 2 shooting guard and No. 23 overall recruit in the 2023 class, per 247Sports.

McCain told ESPN that the Blue Devils’ staff was “second to none” and “made Duke feel special.” Scheyer and fellow assistants Nolan Smith and Chris Carrawell spearheaded his recruitment, he said.

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McCain joins five-star Oak Hill (Va.) point guard Caleb Foster and four-star Windermere (Fla.) power forward Sean Stewart as commits in Duke’s 2023 class, which solidified its No. 1 spot nationally.

Scheyer, who will replace longtime coach Mike Krzyzewski after the 2021-22 season, has handled the program’s recruiting since last summer and brought in the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in 2022, too.

Duke offered McCain in November and hosted him on what he described as a “home run” official visit in February. A 6-foot-2 shooting guard who can also play point guard, McCain averaged 22 points, five rebounds and four assists per game for Centennial, one of California’s top public school programs.

McCain is also a rising social media star. He’s nearing 1 million followers on TikTok, maintains a YouTube channel and has a name, image and likeness (NIL) valuation of $300,000, according to On3’s NIL 100.

Duke, the West Region's No. 2 seed, defeated No. 15 seed Cal State Fullerton, 78-61, on Friday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. The Blue Devils will play No. 7 seed Michigan State (which beat No. 10 Davidson, 73-74, on Friday) for a Sweet 16 berth.

Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: 5-star recruit Jared McCain commits to Duke basketball before NCAA win