Jared McCain prides himself in his ability to consistently tap into the supreme level of mental focus it takes to dominate a game.
Whether he’s facing a juggernaut of an opponent or a cakewalk of a game, McCain’s mentality to obliterate the competition remains the same.
“It doesn’t matter who I’m playing,” McCain said. “I’m going hard regardless.”
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That much is evident in McCain’s 22-point, five-rebound, four-assist averages for the CIF Southern Section Open Division defending champs.
It’s that intense mental focus that he’s hoping will keep him grounded as he embarks on two major officials over the next couple of weeks.
“You’ve gotta be really focused on those visits,” McCain said with a laugh. “You already know that it’s gonna be the best time you’ve ever had, so you have to stay focused. They really turn it on for you on these visits.”
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McCain is sure to feel the love at Duke when he visits on Feb. 6-8 and at No. 1 Gonzaga during his visit on Feb. 12-14.
To combat the inevitable wide-eyed emotions that are sure to come in droves in Durham and Spokane, McCain enlists the help of his trainer Shea Frazee during visits.
“He’s gone through all of this stuff before with elite guys in the past and he asks questions that you don’t really think about,” McCain said of Frazee. “I can’t imagine having to look past all of the glamour and the show that they’re putting on, so he helps to keep me grounded.”
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It’s an important buffer for McCain, who admitted that he has the potential to be a prisoner of the moment as the official visit wow factors pile up by the hour.
“I could see myself thinking ‘Man, am I really about to pass all this up!” McCain said with a laugh. “But then later I’d definitely know that waiting it out is always the smarter move. I’m just going into my visits with the mindset to have fun and see what I see.”
McCain has yet to schedule any other visits but said he “could pop into a game” here or there as his schedule permits. He plans to cut his list to “around seven” in the next month or two.
When asked if not having a shortened list has made his life more hectic with countless calls and texts from everyone, McCain said, “Not really. It’s funny, after Duke offered some schools just stopped talking to me. Most stayed in contact, but that changed things.”
Still, no matter the red carpets schools roll out, creative chants he hears at games or five-star dinners he and his family attend, don’t expect a commitment from McCain any time soon.
“I don’t really see myself committing before the junior summer,” McCain said. “Maybe after junior summer, but we’ll see. I’m just happy to be in the position to have these options. I used to be the younger guy who watched the highlight clips, followed the top players and all that. Now I’m living it and it’s super crazy whenever I think about it.”
