Injured Tyrese Proctor reacts to Jared McCain's historic Duke record leveling $18 million Zion Williamson: "He a bad man"
On Saturday, Jared McCain created history by scoring 35 points, a school freshman mark, as the No. 9 Blue Devils defeated Florida State 76-67. With this, McCain tied with Zion Williamson's 35-point performance against Syracuse in 2019. While he celebrated this feat with his teammates, there was one person who missed it all.
Tyrese Proctor did not travel with his team due to a concussion. The sophomore guard suffered a head collision during Monday's game against Wake Forest.
However, he celebrated McCain's achievement as he shared a picture with the caption, "He a bad man," on Instagram.
Jared McCain's incredible performance is a continuation of his excellent rookie year with the Blue Devils. He also set a Duke freshman record with eight 3-pointers. With his 35-point record, McCain joins the freshman elite club, which also has JJ Reddick and Marvin Bagley III, along with Williamson.
Zion Williamson vs Jared McCain: How do the freshmen fare?
Zion Williamson entered Duke in 2018 as a five-star recruit and was ranked first in his recruiting class. In 33 games during his rookie season, he averaged 22.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.
He also set the record for one of the few freshmen in history to collect 500 points, 50 steals, and 50 blocks in a season, joining Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis.
Jared McCain still has a long way to go before he can catch up with this. In 24 games, the 6-foot-3 guard averages 12.9 points with 5.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer praised McCain post-game:
"Jared, it's pretty special what he did, coming into this atmosphere as a freshman. It was just a really special performance."
Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton also spoke about him:
"But all of us who have played basketball, seems to have had one of those nights where they can't miss, regardless of how you're defended. And I thought McCain had one of those nights," said Hamilton.
While Williamson declared for the draft right after his freshman year at Duke, it makes sense for him to wait another year, if not more, before making the move to the NBA.
Also Read: Why does Jared McCain meditate? Exploring the Duke Guard’s unique ritual and its origins