As the Centennial High boys basketball team walked out of the tunnel at the 2023 Hoophall Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts, coach Josh Giles recalled people in the sold-out crowd yelling obscenities at one of his players, Jared McCain.
“Some of the things they were calling him, you couldn’t even print if I told you to,” Giles said.
But McCain never looked up at the crowd, who yelled at him about his social media presence. He was focused on his matchup against Camden High School— which featured the No. 1 point guard in the class of 2023, Kentucky commit DJ Wagner.
Before the game, McCain was left off multiple top-25 rankings in the country. Giles called it a “slap in the face.” He told McCain leading up to the matchup, “All those people that left you off (the list), they’re right there.”
On McCain’s first touch of the game, he drained a three-pointer and turned to the crowd and said his own words that couldn’t be printed. Centennial went on to beat Camden 66-62.
McCain finished the game with 27 points and six rebounds. Wagner also finished with 27 points and six rebounds.
After a stellar season at Duke, during which McCain was named to the ACC All-Rookie Team, the Sacramento native is expected to be selected in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft.
McCain’s best skill is his shooting. He made 41.4% of his three-pointers last season at Duke and shot 88.5% from the free-throw line.
Some of the weaknesses identified with McCain are his lack of size and athleticism. He stands at 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-3 1/2 wingspan. He’s likely to play shooting guard at the NBA level and would be undersized for that position.
However, Giles warns people to not overlook McCain because of his size. “The one thing I’ve learned about Jared is you better not ever bet against him,” Giles said.
When McCain came into Centennial as a freshman, Giles recalled his jersey looked like a hanger because of how skinny he was. After the pandemic, he remembers McCain coming back with a lot more strength and weight. McCain currently weighs 200 lbs.
The second wave of criticism was that McCain was only a catch-and-shooter player. He wasn’t a strong slasher, but by the end of high school he became adept at attacking the basket using creative finishes and a floater.
Last season at Duke, McCain finished an efficient 61.7% of his field goals around the rim, an elite number for a guard, according to Synergy Sports.
“Everything people are saying that is a negative thing, he will figure out a way to turn into a strength,” Giles said.
One of McCain’s teammates at Centennial, Ramsey Huff, realized McCain was “the real deal” when members of the Duke coaching staff showed up to his practice.
“I was like, ‘Ain’t no way Duke’s in here watching one of my teammates,” Huff said.
Huff, who plays basketball at Cal State East Bay, said McCain’s work ethic was “something different.” He remembers coming into Centennial’s morning practice and seeing McCain in a full sweat after getting to the gym early to get in a workout before practice.
McCain’s work ethic was on full display after the win against Camden. Giles remembers he went downstairs to the hotel lobby at 11 p.m. and bumped into an NBA scout.
“(The scout) points to the fitness center and asks, ‘Is that Jared in there lifting?’” Giles said.
In the hotel fitness center, McCain was lifting weights with an assistant coach because he wouldn’t have the chance to the following day due to travel.
“Most kids would go back to the hotel and look at their Instagram or Twitter and repost about how great they are,” Giles said.
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NBA analysts and scouts have echoed the same sentiment about McCain’s work ethic. According to Sam Vecenie’s NBA Draft guide for The Athletic, McCain’s character is “elite.”
“He ticks every single box from a character perspective and is known to be excellent in terms of work ethic — both in the gym and in the weight room,” Vecenie wrote. “There’s every reason to buy him continuing to grow from this already strong starting point.”
McCain is a prominent figure on social media with 2.8 million followers. He posts goofy videos of him dancing and singing and participating in trending video, which has made some people question his toughness.
“One of my assistant coaches would always tell people, ‘You see the fingernail paint and think he’s sweet,’” Giles said. “He’s not sweet.”