Watch: Duke-bound Jared McCain goes for 41 points, leading state No. 1 Centennial to Senior Night win
Senior Night often opens the door for high school basketball players to bust loose.
It's often a last chance for senior to celebrate four years of hard work, and coaches will remove the reins and let players go a little freestyle.
That wasn't the case necessarily for 5-star Corona Centennial guard Jared McCain on Tuesday, when the recent McDonald's All-American selection broke loose for 41 points in a 77-71 win over Roosevelt-Eastvale.
(See all of the excellent work at the top by videographer Bryan Cabezas)
Though Centennial (24-3, 9-0 Big VIII League), California's No. 1 team and defending Open Division champion, took a big lead, it had to withstand a huge rally from the Mustangs (21-6, 7-2). The Huskies had a 26-11 cushion after one, but watched Roosevelt close to 56-52 entering the fourth quarter.
Jared McCain at Mater Dei's Nike Extravaganza on Jan. 28. Photo: Nick Koza.
All of McCain's points proved critical.
The 6-foot-3 combo guard is ranked the 15th best senior in the country by 247Sports Composite, and the No. 1 player in California. He's signed to Duke.
Besides his vast basketball skills, McCain is a social media sensation, with 1.8 million TikTok followers, 531,000 more on Instagram and nearly 62,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel with girlfriend Sydney Williams.
It's hard to believe he has time to refine his game and star for SBLive's national No. 9 team. Judging from his Senior Night performance, he makes the time.
McCain's performance came on the same night in Southern California that the nation's No. 1 girls basketball recruit Juju Watkins went for 60 points on Senior Night in Sierra Canyon's 88-39 win over Notre Dame-Sherman Oaks. Sierra Canyon (25-0) is the nation's No. 1 team.
