Bio Blast: James Madison forward Justin McBride

The commitments are slowly trickling in. Kentucky now has next season’s backcourt locked down with the recent additions of Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. Now it’s time to fill out the frontcourt. Syracuse forward Donnie Freeman remains priority number one after Colorado’s Sebastian Rancik picked Florida State on Sunday morning.

But head coach Mark Pope needs some depth going into 2026-27. James Madison forward Justin McBride could provide it. Jacob Polacheck of KSR+ reported on Saturday that McBride is in the process of scheduling a visit to Kentucky for Tuesday, April 21. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound big man is coming off a Third Team All-Sun Belt season with the Dukes and will have one year of eligibility remaining.

On3 does not list McBride in the transfer portal rankings, but 247Sports ranks him as a three-star transfer prospect and No. 201 nationally. Let’s get to know him better through another edition of KSR’s Bio Blast.

Three schools in three years

A native of Texas who graduated from Plano (TX), McBride also spent time suiting up for Oak Hill Academy (VA). He was a three-star recruit out of high school with experience playing for Team USA, finishing No. 125 overall in the 2023 recruiting class by the Rivals Industry Ranking. He committed to Oklahoma State (joining fellow freshman Brandon Garrison) over the likes of VCU, Arizona State, Santa Clara, Kansas State, and Missouri.

McBride’s freshman season in 2023-24 was limited. He appeared in 24 games off the bench for the Cowboys, averaging 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per outing. He shot 70.4 percent (19-27) on two-pointers, logging a season-high eight points against Sam Houston in the non-conference. Like Garrison, he hopped into the portal after one season at Oklahoma State, ultimately landing at Nevada.

His time with the Wolf Pack saw him become a much more impactful player. McBride took the floor in 33 games for Nevada in 2024-25, three as a starter. He averaged 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per contest. He shot 63.1 percent on his twos but 24.1 percent on three-pointers, albeit on low volume (14-58 3PT). McBride reached double-digits in 11 games, posting a season-high 19 points against Fresno State in MWC play.

From there, McBride once again hit the portal. He landed at James Madison for his junior season in 2025-26, immediately filling in as a full-time starter. McBride started 30 of his 31 games played, posting per-game averages of 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 27.1 minutes. His two-point percentage dipped to 53 percent, but on double the volume compared to his sophomore season. He also knocked down 40 percent of his 3.1 three-point attempts per outing. McBride logged 22 double-digit scoring games, 10 games with 20 or more points, and a pair of 30-point outings. All of that was enough to land him a spot on the All-Sun Belt Third Team.

What the advanced stats say about his game

McBride posted a high usage rate of 27.9 percent at James Madison, which ranked in the 97th percentile among all forwards, per CBB Analytics. He had the ball in his hands plenty while with the Dukes, but turned that into efficient outside shooting with some playmaking chops, although he finished with more turnovers (55) than assists (45). However, he created 18.6 points per game via his scoring and passing, a number that ranked him in the 92nd percentile.

McBride turned into a stretchable shooting forward at James Madison, one who also consistently drew fouls. He shot 78.2 percent on the free-throw line last season on 3.8 attempts per game. Most of his non-free-throw points came around the rim or above the break threes. He shot 42.2 percent on threes in half-court offense sets.

On the other side of the floor, McBride graded out as an above-average defensive rebounder, but the rest of his defensive metrics were not favorable. While his offensive numbers were solid in terms of all-in-one stats such as Win Shares and RAPM, the defensive numbers were rough. His -2.5 DRAPM ranked him in the 4th percentile nationally.

It’s Transfer Portal SZN on KSR+

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