User:TarheelBornBred/Blue Cain

Blue Cain (born September 25, 2004) is an American basketball player who plays for the Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

Early life and high school
Blue Cain was born on September 25, 2004. Growing up, his hometown was Knoxville, Tennessee, where he first attended Knoxville Catholic High School. At Knoxville Catholic, Cain played basketball from his freshman to his junior year.

As a freshman, Cain averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 1.8 steals, which helped Knoxville Catholic obtain a 25–4 record and win the Tennessee Division II-AA state championship. Cain's statistics in all four categories increased as a sophomore, with him averaging 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals, although Knoxville Catholic posted a 21–4 record and was eliminated in the semifinals of the state tournament. In his junior year, Cain averaged the most points he would in a year at Knoxville Catholic with 19.7 and led them to a career-best 28–4 record, finishing as the runner-up in the state tournament. In total, Cain compiled 1213 points, 400 rebounds, 253 assists, and 191 steals and led Knoxville Catholic High School to a 74–12 record over three years.

Before his senior year, Cain transferred to play basketball at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. In his lone year at IMG Academy, Cain averaged 12.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.5 steals. In the quarterfinals of the GEICO National Tournament, Cain hit a spinning half-court buzzer-beater to win the game over Prolific Prep. IMG Academy finished with an 18–8 record and made it to the semifinals of the GEICO National Tournament, and was also ranked number 9 in ESPN’s SCNext national boys’ basketball rankings.

Recruiting
In high school, Cain was rated as a four-star recruit. He was ranked No. 53 by ESPN, No. 69 by 247Sports Composite and No. 94 by Rivals. Cain originally chose to sign with Georgia Tech under coach Josh Pastner. However, Pastner was fired before the 2023–24 season and replaced by Damon Stoudamire, causing Cain to de-commit from Georgia Tech. Instead, Cain signed with in-state rival Georgia under coach Mike White over teams such as South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Penn State, and Virginia. Cain cited his relationship with the coaching staff at Georgia as the primary factor for committing there, saying, "It just felt like home."

College career
Cain came into Georgia as the highest-rated freshman recruit for the Bulldogs since the 2019–20 season. In his college debut, Cain scored 12 points with 2 rebounds and 3 assists against Oregon. As a freshman, Cain had a career-high 18 points in games against Miami and Alabama A&M.

Personal life
Cain is the son of Chris and Myriah Cain. Chris played golf at Duke, from where he decided to name his son Blue after Duke's blue colors. Myriah played women's basketball at George Washington and is in the school's Athletic Hall of Fame. Cain's sister Sophie plays volleyball for Appalachian State.