Amidst all the noise around star transfer forward Donnie Freeman, and and all other options at the position seem to have faded away as a result of the intense national noise. Aside from Sebastian Rancik, who committed elsewhere, the Wildcats' success in the bottom half of the frontcourt could come down to Freeman's eventual decision.
Unless it doesn't. Mark Pope, whether by some stroke of luck or form of portal-wrought insurance, has been in contact with another forward in the portal. Regardless of whether or not Freeman ultimately ends up in the blue and white, James Madison transfer Justin McBride will take an official visit to Lexington starting this Wednesday, per Jacob Polacheck.
And, while not on the same level of popularity as Freeman - and not at all the same sort of player - McBride would make sense in a Mark Pope offense and would serve as a solid addition to a roster than needs scoring.
Justin McBride Brings Scoring
While slightly undersized, assuming he plays the four in a move to Lexington, McBride makes up for his size with a rare SEC-like physicality. At six-foot-seven, 240 pounds, the forward's ability to get downhill on offense, and wall-up on defense, defines his well-rounded game.
But it was his most recent season as a Duke that really put his bag over the top. In improving his three-point shooting to a more than solid 40% clip (from 24% the previous year), as well as doubling his point average (7.8 to 15.3 per game) McBridge proved himself as a reliable, even primary scorer.
And he put up those numbers against worthy competition, too. In spite of their blowout loss on the whole, McBride put up 13 points on 50% shooting against the Arkansas Razorbacks earlier in the year.
In short, he's more than capable of playing an impactful part against towering competition. At James Madison, his part wasn't enough; but at Kentucky? It very well could be.
Redefining the "Role Player"
Being a role player doesn't mean you're relegated to little to no minutes. In fact, it doesn't even have to mean coming off the bench. Regardless of his final spot in the rotation, McBride joining up with the Wildcats makes sense for both his fit within the system, as well as UK's general need for any and all scoring.
Cats fans should have his visit date circled. At this later stage in transfer portal recruitment, it's less about being picky and more about filling spots with as much efficiency and impact as possible.
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