The transfer portal never hits pause, and Kentucky Basketball is still hustling to round out its roster for next season.
The latest name to surface is Justin McBride, a forward from the James Madison Dukes.
According to KSR’s Jacob Polacheck, McBride has Kentucky among his possible destinations and is aiming to visit Lexington on Tuesday, April 21. A few transcript-related details still need sorting before the visit is finalized, but there’s legitimate mutual interest.
McBride, a 6-foot-7 product of Plano, Texas, is coming off his strongest season yet at JMU. He averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting an efficient 49.4% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc on just over three attempts per game—steady, reliable production across the board.
He’s taken a winding path through college basketball, beginning at Oklahoma State, moving to Nevada, and eventually finding his stride at JMU, where he primarily operated as a stretch forward.
A member of the 2023 recruiting class, McBride was rated No. 134 nationally, No. 29 among power forwards, and No. 11 in Texas per 247Sports.
As for Kentucky Wildcats men’s basketball, the 2026–27 roster is still coming together. The Wildcats are set to return Malachi Moreno, Kam Williams, Trent Noah, and Reece Potter. They’ve also added Zoom Diallo from Washington through the portal and secured high school commit Mason Williams. Even so, the roster still needs more pieces, and a forward with McBride’s scoring and rebounding profile would be a valuable addition to what Pope is assembling.
A visit doesn’t guarantee anything, but it’s a meaningful step. If McBride does make it to campus Tuesday, it’ll be worth keeping an eye on what unfolds next.
Leave a Reply