Duke alum Jared McCain shares dejected emote reaction as Blue Devils crash out after shock defeat

Duke fans, including Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain, were heartbroken after the Blue Devils' Final Four loss to the Houston Cougars on Saturday. The Blue Devils had a six-point lead with less than a minute left, but the Cougars staged a comeback for the ages to earn a 70-67 March Madness win.

In a post on Instagram stories, McCain shared a selfie showing his emotion after Duke's choke job. The Sixers rookie couldn't believe what happened, as the Blue Devils failed to qualify for the NCAA championship game for the 10th straight year.

Here's Jared McCain's emoji-filled story:

Jared McCain shared this on his Instagram stories. (Photo: @jmac on IG)

Jared McCain spent one season at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. They lost to North Carolina State as he entered the NBA Draft, where he was selected 16th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Duke's current star Cooper Flagg did all he could on Saturday, finishing with 27 points, seven rebounds and four assists, but missed the go-ahead shot with less than 10 seconds remaining. There was also a questionable call on Flagg that got people on social media buzzing and speculating.

The 2025 College Player of the Year is expected to enter the 2025 NBA Draft and is the consensus No. 1 pick. Some unfavorable teams are likely to get the first selection, like the New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets and the Utah Jazz.

All have young core players, but a losing situation isn't always the best for a No. 1 pick. Still, Flagg could have an impact like Paolo Banchero, who helped turn around an Orlando Magic team into a playoff team.

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Jared McCain likes Cooper Flagg's winning mentality

Jared McCain likes Cooper Flagg's winning mentality. (Photo: IMAGN)

Speaking to Bleacher Report at the end of March, Jared McCain predicted that Duke would be the 2025 National Champions. However, the result of Saturday's game meant that McCain's prediction was wrong.

The Philadelphia 76ers have a chance to land the first pick, and McCain knows that Cooper Flagg has a winning mentality.

"When I first saw him, I saw him play in high school and I got to scrimmage with him, and he just makes winning plays," McCain said.

"That's who you want to play with. He's unselfish, and sometimes I heard (Jon) Scheyer talk about it, like he needs to be even more selfish. He's a great person to play with, good person outside of the court, and those are the teammates that you want to have."

McCain's rookie season was eventful, looking like a Rookie of the Year favorite before suffering a knee injury. He's expected to be fully healthy at the start of the 2025-26 NBA season.