Jared McCain brags about Duke basketball, ‘the best college program in the country by far’

During his introductory press conference with the Philadelphia 76ers, Jared McCain couldn’t pass up the chance to gas up the Blue Devils.

He might play in Philadelphia now, but Durham will always be home for Jared McCain.

The freshman sensation went to the 76ers with the 16th overall pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday. During his introductory press conference on Friday, when a reporter asked him about handling criticism, he couldn’t resist hyping up his old team.

“Being at Duke, you know, the best college program in the country by far,” McCain started with a grin on his face.

The answer comes days after McCain spent a minute to talk about how much the program meant to him during his lone year with the Blue Devils.

The newest member of the Sixers actually turned his joke into a productive answer, too.

“You learn that, when you’re at the top, there’s going to be haters,” McCain continued. “There’s going to be people who are going to find any way to discredit your work, discredit everything about you. And you learn to live with it.”

McCain will wear the No. 20 with the Sixers, according to first looks at him in uniform on Friday.