Class of 2023 five-star prospect Jared McCain commits to Duke over Gonzaga, others

Duke edged Gonzaga on the court when the college basketball heavyweights met in Las Vegas the day after Thanksgiving and the Blue Devils notched another victory over the Bulldogs on Friday – this time for a coveted recruit in the class of 2023.

Jared McCain, a five-star prospect from Southern California who took an official visit to Spokane in February, announced his commitment to Duke via his Instagram account. 

“This has been the hardest decision of my life, but I can only commit to one school,” McCain said in an Instagram video. “With that being said, I will be committing to Duke University.”

The nation’s 23rd-rated recruit was thought to be considering four schools – Duke, Gonzaga, Houston and UCLA – but the Blue Devils began to emerge as a front-runner for McCain, who recently led Southern California’s Centennial Corona to a California state championship.

McCain took an unofficial visit to Spokane in mid-November and made his official visit in February, in conjunction with Gonzaga’s home game against Saint Mary’s. Also on the visit was 2023 four-star prospect Dusty Stromer, another SoCal product who played alongside McCain during the AAU circuit last summer.

Stromer recently announced his four finalists, featuring Gonzaga, UCLA, Arizona and Houston. The Bulldogs also made the final cut for class of 2023 guard Mookie Cook, who visited Spokane for a Senior Day game against Santa Clara. Cook’s other finalists are Kentucky and Oregon.

Gonzaga is still addressing its needs in the class of 2022, with only a single commitment to this point. The Zags have signed Illinois four-star forward Braden Huff out of Chicago’s Glenbard West and are still in the mix for five-star combo guard Anthony Black out of Texas’ Duncanville High. Skyy Clark, another five-star prospect in the 2023 class, may be back in play for the Bulldogs since decommitting from Kentucky on March 6.