After securing Zoom Diallo in a significant commitment for Kentucky, Mark Pope and his staff quickly pivoted to skill players at other positions. It took no time at all for the Wildcats to host a fresh batch of transfer targets.
Leading the bunch were, and still are, guard Alex Wilkins and forward Donnie Freeman; both potential stars took visits to Lexington this week and both visits, it seems, went well. But without a commitment and the possibility of other schools being involved looming ahead, the Cats can’t afford to put all their NIL dollars in one basket.
That’s where additional visits come in. In the latest news, James Madison forward Justin McBride has entered the conversation for Kentucky (per KY Insider), scheduling a trip to Lexington for Tuesday.
McBride Brings Scoring in the Frontcourt
McBride, who is entering his senior year in college basketball, has already traversed three different programs. After starting his career as a four-star prospect at Oklahoma State, the journeyman has since developed rapidly as his allegiance changes hands.
He averaged 2.5 points per contest at his first stop; then, with Nevada, that number jumped to 7.8. With James Madison, McBride seemed to finally break through, boosting that number to north of 15. Perhaps most impressively, his three-point clip also rose to 40% after stagnating at nearly half that rate for his first two seasons.
He's a concise scoring forward that moves like a wing and rebounds the ball well, too (5.6 per game), and Mark Pope is right to at least feel this one out. The main question is exactly where he would click into the rotation in Lexington.
Because, while not necessarily an ideal starter, McBride certainly seems like an ideal measure of depth for Pope'e incoming third team.
Working to Add Depth
Think Ansley Almonor and Mo Dioubate fused into one player. A stretch power forward that, if he's willing to take on a secondary role, could make a significant difference off the bench in an offense that's built for bigs who can score on numerous levels.
Having already met over Zoom with the staff, McBride now scheduling a visit seems like a good sign for this potential union. So long as the role is right and the forward clicks into a sensible spot, this is an addition that could help pad out Kentucky's roster.
Depth is crucial, especially for a team that has been continuously cursed by the injury bug. You can never be too safe.
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