Kentucky hoops lands star James Madison transfer Justin McBride

The Kentucky Wildcats have picked up a very intriguing player in the transfer portal. This is a big one for Mark Pope and the Wildcats, too, because there's going to be a ton of pressure on Kentucky to perform in 2026.  Pope is 46-26 in two seasons at Kentucky, but his team got bounced in the second round of the NCAA Tournament this past March. In 2025, Kentucky made it to the Sweet 16 before losing to Kentucky. Perhaps the addition of transfer forward Justin McBride will help Kentucky get back to playing up to the championship expectations. At the very least, McBride will be bringing some intriguing experience to the table for the Wildcats. He's also coming off a breakout junior season with James Madison. McBride committed to Kentucky on Tuesday via the transfer portal. NEWS: James Madison transfer forward Justin McBride has committed to Kentucky, he told @On3. The 6-7 junior averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game this season, shooting 40% from three. https://t.co/v0PBp5zZ1q pic.twitter.com/piKYR7RPdV McBride checks in at 6-foot-7, 240 pounds. He's a former four-star recruit from Plano, Texas, ranked as the No. 29 power forward in the 2023 class, according to 247Sports. He committed to the Oklahoma State Cowboys out of high school and played in 24 games as a true freshman, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. McBride transferred to Nevada for his sophomore season, where he averaged 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 18.6 minutes per contest. He played in 33 games for the Wolf Pack, starting three. As mentioned, the big man had a breakout year of sorts when he transferred to James Madison for his junior season. He averaged a career-high 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while starting 30 of the 31 games he played in with the Dukes. He shot 49.4% from the floor and a blazing 40% from three-point range on just over three attempts per game. McBride was ranked as the No. 41 power forward in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports. It will be interesting to see if his high level of play can translate from the Sun Belt to the SEC. Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!