Duke basketball guard Jared McCain will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, he announced Friday morning.

"Even only being here for one year, I got to see the impact and the power of The Brotherhood, and that’s what made this decision extremely hard," McCain said in a video posted on his social media accounts.

"But I’ve always been a dream chaser, I’ve always been one to reach my goals, and that next one is the NBA. So with that being said, I will be entering my name into the 2024 NBA Draft. I’m blessed and honored to be a part of The Brotherhood, and I’ll be a Blue Devil for life."

McCain averaged 14.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his freshman season at Duke. The 6-foot-3, 197-pound freshman made 41.4% of his 3-pointers, setting a program record with eight 3s against James Madison in the NCAA Tournament.

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McCain also joined Zion Williamson in the record book with 35 points against Florida State in the regular season to match Duke’s freshman scoring record.

Where is Duke basketball guard Jared McCain projected to be picked in the 2024 NBA Draft?

McCain’s shooting prowess, balance as a scorer and rebounding ability as a guard have him projected to be a top-20 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In USA TODAY’s latest mock draft, McCain is predicted to be selected by the New Orleans Pelicans with the 14th overall pick.

What Tyrese Proctor’s return, Jared McCain’s departure mean for Duke

Following the national championship game, the dominoes started to fall for Duke. Mark Mitchell entered the transfer portal, Tyrese Proctor reportedly made the decision to return to the Blue Devils for a third season and McCain declared for the draft.

Proctor’s expected return, along with the arrival of freshman sharpshooter Darren Harris, will ease the sting of losing McCain. But McCain’s knack for knocking down shots, along with underrated toughness as a defender and rebounder, will be missed. Head coach Jon Scheyer would be wise to find a veteran guard in the transfer portal to make the transition a bit easier.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball’s Jared McCain makes 2024 NBA Draft decision