McCain attended Centennial High School.[1] He was named the California Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior after averaging 16.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and four assists per game.[2] He was selected to play in the 2023 McDonald's All-American Boys Game during his senior year.[3] McCain averaged 17.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, four assists, and 1.5 steals per game for Centennial during the season and repeated as the California Gatorade Player of the Year.[4]
Recruiting
McCain was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2023 class, according to major recruiting services.[5][6] On March 18, 2022, he committed to playing college basketball for Duke over offers from Gonzaga, Kansas, and Houston.[7][8]
McCain enrolled at Duke University in June 2023.[9] He made his college basketball debut on November 6, 2023, scoring 8 points in 15 minutes in a 92–54 win against Dartmouth.[10] On January 17, 2024, McCain scored 21 points and 5 rebounds in a 72–71 win against Clemson.[11] On January 29, 2024, McCain earned Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) rookie of the week honors.[12] On February 17, 2024, McCain scored a career-high 35 points, tying Zion Williamson for the Duke freshman record, in a 76–67 victory against Florida State.[13] On February 19, 2024, McCain was named ACC Rookie of the week for the second consecutive time.[14] On March 24, 2024, McCain scored 30 points and 5 rebounds in a 93–55 win over James Madison.[15] On March 31, 2024, McCain scored 32 points in a 76–64 loss against NC State in the Elite 8 of the March Madness tournament.
On April 13, 2024, McCain declared for the 2024 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[16] He later received a green room invite.[17]