"Put yourself on the biggest platform you can": Duke star Jared McCain has solid hacks for high school hoopers to get noticed

Duke star Jared McCain has mastered the art of thriving in today's social media and PR landscape. With almost three million followers on TikTok and 1.1 million followers on Instagram, McCain ranks among the most popular college athletes on social media.

Speaking with Overtime Eite on Saturday, McCain offered advice to young hoopers on how to catch the attention of major colleges.

"I think find a way to put yourself on the biggest platform you can, whether that's your high school or AAU," McCain answered. "Find a team that you think will help you and find people, good people around you who you think will have good connections. Yeah, we just continue to work, I think. I think they'll always find you."

Jared McCain's rise to stardom started in high school when he was nominated as the California Player of the Year during both his junior and senior years at Centennial High School in Sacramento.

He then went to Duke and decided to enter the NBA draft following just one season of college basketball. During the 2023-24 season with the Blue Devils, he averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game and made the 2024 ACC All-Rookie Team.

Jared McCain's potential landing sports in the NBA draft

Jared McCain, a 6-foot-3 guard, is a projected first-round pick in the 2024 NBA draft. Numerous media outlets even rank him among the top 20 picks in their draft forecasts.

The Sporting News mock draft has the Blue Devils standout projected to join the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 16. Similarly, ESPN and Sports Illustrated also project McCain to go to Philly.

Meanwhile, USA Today's NBA writer Jeff Zillgitt foresees a different path for Jared, projecting him as the 14th overall pick for the New Orleans Pelicans. Zillgitt emphasizes McCain's valuable shooting skills, which he believes will greatly benefit the Pelicans.

"An efficient scorer on a talented team, McCain has range from 3 and can shoot it off the dribble or on the catch," Zillgitt writes.

CBS Sports holds McCain in high regard, touting him as the 11th overall pick for the Chicago Bulls. They believe McCain would be a good addition to the team, especially playing alongside Josh Giddey and Coby White. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's mock draft sees McCain joining the Orlando Magic with the 18th pick.