Jared McCain calls Duke ‘poised’ after shaky NCAA Tournament start
Former Duke guard Jared McCain isn’t worried about the team’s slow start to the 2026 NCAA Tournament and believes a title run is still within reach, as the Blue Devils have already “won their loss.”
Through the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Duke has not looked like the dominant presence they were from most of the season. Injuries have certainly played a part in that, between the absence of Caleb Foster and the recent return of Patrick Ngongba II, but the team appears to be turning a corner, and one of their former stars voiced his unwavering confidence in the team Monday night.
Jared McCain has remained a committed member of the Blue Devil brotherhood since he was drafted in 2024. After an emotional homecoming to his first NBA home in Philadelphia, McCain spoke to Duke Wire about his thoughts on the team’s early tournament play and their chances moving forward.
“We’re poised. You know, we’re poised right now,” McCain said of the Blue Devils. “A little shaky in the first one, but that’s [the] nerves of the tournament, it happens. We basically won our loss. So now we’re just going to win every game, and we’re good. Who we got, St. John’s next? Pitino? Yeah, we’re good.”
McCain is not far removed from his own experience in the tournament, helping to lead the Blue Devils to an Elite Eight appearance in 2023. He understands the weight of the moment and believes this team has what it takes to finish the job for the first time since 2015.
With a matchup against St. John’s in the Sweet 16 looming, the Blue Devils not only have the backing of McCain, but also the opportunity to officially announce their arrival in the tournament with a win.
