WATCH: NBA-bound Jared McCain once 'manifested' his journey to having his name called out in the 2024 NBA Draft

Former Duke Blue Devils guard Jared McCain was one of the rising stars in the NBA Draft, particularly as his performances improved massively as the 2023-2024 season progressed. In ESPN's latest mock draft, the popular prospect is touted to be picked at No. 16 by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2024 NBA Draft.

The expressive McCain recently reposted a clip of himself from last year, June 20 'manifesting' being picked in the 2024 NBA Draft. He can be heard saying:

Check out the clip here:

"Mark my words, next year, a year from now, today, I'm getting ready for my name to be called, in New York at the Draft. To shake Adam Silver's hand. First-round, Green room invite. So that's what I'm gonna dream about, goodnight world,"

Jared McCain balancing basketball and social media fame

Jared McCain has gotten a lot of flak for his social media videos and outgoing nature from both fans and analysts alike. During the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, he explained how he started doing the videos and how he deals with the criticism that comes with them.

“It’s funny when I first did it in [the COVID-19 pandemic], I wasn’t really processing it. Like, I knew it was a ‘girl’ thing, but I didn’t process it, to that extent, that people were going to be that mad at it,” McCain said. “I’m used to it by now, though.

“If you’re playing bad and you paint your nails and you do TikTok dances, you’re going to get hate no matter what,” Jared McCain said. “I’m always going to be myself … Find what makes you happy, what makes you feel good about yourself and just keep doing it.”

McCain grew into the season as the Duke Blue Devils found another gear as the season progressed. He was often the nation's best shooter from deep, accounting for his high draft stock.

At the end of the season, he had registered 14.3 points at 46.4% shooting from the field and 41.4% from beyond the arc, 5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. One of those stellar performances came in the March Madness second-round game against the James Madison Dukes, where he scored 30 points at 72.7% shooting from deep.

In a Sports Illustrated interview, Blue Devils coach Jon Scheyer revealed that McCain's attention to basketball never wavered, even as his social media following exploded to over three million.

“It was literally never a distraction,” Scheyer said. “Once you’re around him, you realize he’s one of the few, maybe ever, to be able to handle both [basketball and social media] and still be all the way into everything that it takes to be a successful basketball player.”

Jared McCain will be in demand in the 2024 NBA Draft for his devastating ability to shoot from deep, particularly as the modern NBA makes for a favorable playground for lights-out shooters.