7. Jared McCain (Duke)
Perhaps known by many for his antics on TikTok, McCain demonstrated fantastic basketball acumen even before arriving in Durham; he wasn’t a 5-star prospect on accident. Another successful recruit under Jon Scheyer, the California native crossed the country to play for the Blue Devils and had a fantastic freshman season.
McCain averaged 14.3 points and 5.0 rebounds on the season and really established himself as one of the ACC’s top shooters, making 41% of his 3-pointers and nearly 89% of his free throws. Named one of the ACC’s top freshman, McCain showed great potential as a starter for the Blue Devils and would contribute greatly on a season that ended in the Elite Eight.
A notable scorer at times across his freshman season, McCain really stood out with his performance in an NCAA Tournament win over James Madison, making eight 3-pointers to knock out the Dukes and advance to the Sweet Sixteen. He saved two of his three 30-point efforts for the Big Dance, dropping 32 points in a season-ending loss to NC State a week later with another solid shooting performance. McCain was perhaps the most valuable weapon for the Blue Devils in the postseason and mostly lived up to his preseason billing.