Film Room: Justin McBride

Kentucky’s offseason continues to sit in a really weird grey area. On one hand, there have been legitimate upgrades made to the roster compared to what the ‘Cats had in 2025-2026. Ball handling and playmaking have improved, the talent ceiling has been raised, and a strong argument could be made that four of five starting positions have been improved upon. However, it is also true that Big Blue Nation is in a very negative place right now. The fan base is not happy. Public relations between the program, coaching staff, and fan base is not in a good place. Unfortunately, Justin McBride’s commitment was another example of that. The James Madison transfer’s commitment was announced less than an hour before top Class of 2026 prospect Tyran Stokes picked Kansas over Kentucky.

If the idea was to provide some good news in order to soften the bad news that misguided strategy failed miserably. McBride’s commitment was overlooked at best and mocked at worst. Instead of breaking down McBride’s potential impact at Kentucky the storyline became his commitment juxtaposed with Stokes choosing Kansas. Admittedly, landing a Third Team All-Sun Belt performer while losing on the top high school prospect in the country didn’t feel like a one-for-one trade-off. An already angry fan base was doused with gasoline on the night of April 28th as public sentiment shifted from frustrated to something bordering on toxic. Things simply are not going very smoothly right now in Lexington. Everything surrounding McBride’s announcement was simply the latest example of the programs’ struggles.

As always, we’ve been hard at work in the KSR Film Room breaking down Kentucky’s newest addition. Despite the negativity, there are reasons to be excited about Justin McBride’s commitment. Ousmane Ndiaye was a high-ceiling pickup with a lot of upside. Meanwhile, McBride is a high-floor pickup that provides more of a sure thing at the 4-spot. He is a proven veteran that you can count on to come in and be serviceable from day one. Kentucky’s 4-spot was a massive weakness in 2024-2025. It remains to be seen if McBride and Ndiaye are upgrades production wise, but they certainly are skill and talent wise. McBride averaged 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a junior at James Madison while shooting 38-95 (40.0%) from three-point range. Let’s dive on in and take a closer look at what Justin McBride brings to the table for the ‘Cats.

Perimeter Shooting Ability

There is no denying that Kentucky has upgraded their floor spacing upside at the power forward position. Justin McBride made 38 three-point shots at 40.0% clip in 31 games at James Madison. Per Synergy, he rated in the 96th percentile last season of points per possession in Spot Up situations. He shot 25-55 (45.5%) from 3 as a Spot Up guy. Those numbers, similar to Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, would indicate that McBride has even more upside as a shooter than he has shown so far. Coach Pope clearly has valued some analytically friendly shooting metrics this cycle. These higher percentage shots are also the ones that Kentucky’s offense is built to create. In order for McBride to be a meaningful upgrade at the 4-spot the shooting from James Madison will have to translate.

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Kentucky was an excellent three-point shooting team in year one under Coach Pope. The ‘Cats shot 37.5% from three-point range on relatively high volume. However, those numbers took a semi-significant dip in year two. The ‘Cats shot just 34.2% from three-point range on lower volume. There are more guys capable of making outside shots on the roster going into year three. Justin McBride is certainly one of those guys. Here you see him calmly knock down an open catch-and-shoot three from the corner. These are the shots he needs to be able to make in a Kentucky.

There are flashier three-point shots on Justin McBride’s highlight reel. He can step into them off of the dribble, slip into a pop, and make them from deep beyond the arc. However, the ones that translate best to what he will be asked to do at Kentucky are like what you see in this clip. Make the open, catch-and-shoot three-point shots. The other, more difficult, shots are an added bonus. Per Synergy, McBride made 45.5% of his Spot Up three-point shots. Assuming that his shot diet can steer more towards those spot up, catch-and-shoot looks it is reasonable to assume his percentage could reflect something closer to that number as well.

These are the shots that really showcase McBride’s upside. He slips the ballscreen to a pop and lets it fly from deep beyond the arc in a late clock situation. This is where his size comes into play as well. At 6’7″-6’8″, McBride was able to clearly see over the defender and be unbothered by the late contested. Shots like this obviously won’t go in at a 40.0% clip. However, his ability to pick-and-pop will certainly be valuable within Coach Pope’s offense.

This straight on view provides a good look at his shooting mechanics. There is a slight hitch or double clutch at his release point, but otherwise it is a smooth shot. McBride wastes no time getting to his release point which is high above his head. That little double clutch is why he is better when in rhythm as a spot up threat as opposed to on the move. However, making 40% of your three-point attempts on 4.5 attempts per game means you are doing something right. There should be very little worry about McBride’s shooting translating to Kentucky.

Scoring Off of the Dribble

Last season dribbling was a major issue for the Kentucky Wildcats. If Denzel Aberdeen didn’t have the ball in his hands it was hard to feel too comfortable. That certainly came to a head in the NCAA Tournament when the ‘Cats turned it over 20 times in the Round of 32 against Iowa State. Now, this offseason, it appears that Coach Pope has made it a priority to improve the team’s ball handling ability. Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins, two of the best playmakers in the transfer portal, certainly move the needle in that department. However, the improvements in the ball handling department extend to the front court as well. Justin McBride is a capable ball handler who has shown the ability to create his own shot. His versatility will be a welcomed addition to the Kentucky front court.

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One of the many benefits of having a 4-man that can shoot is the gravity that he creates. That is exactly what you see in this clip. The defense is in a soft drop coverage which creates a long closeout to McBride on the pick-and-pop. McBride uses the runway to attack down the lane line to his right hand for a layup. Per Synergy, he shot 61.7% on layups last season at James Madison. That will be an improvement compared to just about everyone on last season’s Kentucky team.

Justin McBride’s defensive rebounding percentage, per KenPom, was 17.2%. That is higher than Mohamed Dioubate and just below where Brandon Garrison was last season. The 6’7″-6’8″ forward averaged 5.6 rebounds per game and showcased the ability to go coast-to-coast. His ability to handle the ball in the open floor should unlock a faster pace for the ‘Cats offensively. The physicality at the end of this drive to play through contact and score at the rim with his left hand is impressive as well. Kentucky is getting a major upgrade in skill level at the forward position.

A common theme among Kentucky’s top transfer portal additions so far has been that they were very high usage at their previous stops. Both Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins were among the highest usage players in the country last season. Justin McBride wasn’t too far behind. James Madison even used him as a pick-and-roll ball handler some due to his skill level. His ability to handle the ball could open up some unique offensive actions for Coach Pope in the half court. McBride does a great job of here of recognizing the switch, avoiding the congestion, and playing right through the small defenders chest. His ability to handle the ball like a guard while finishing with the physicality of a forward is very impressive.

These are the sort of plays that you could run for McBride that translate to Kentucky. If you can get him a catch around the below he is very good in isolation. His ability to drive it either direction, along with the strength that is required to play through some contact, makes him very effective in that space. There is certainly some real scoring upside that McBride brings to the Wildcats’ front court.

Justin McBride Evaluation

On paper, Coach Pope’s offense is best suited with a skilled front court. We saw flashes of what that could look like in year one in Lexington. However, there wasn’t much skill to go around in the front court last season. Justin McBride will help change that. He comes in having shot 40.0% from three-point range on 38 makes at James Madison as a junior. His ball handling ability will be a welcomed addition to the Wildcats’ offense as well.

McBride is a floor space and skilled perimeter threat, but he also possesses the requisite size and strength to be effective around the rim. He has shown the ability to play through contact and finish consistently at the end of his drives. There are some legitimate defensive concerns, and he will likely be just a serviceable at best rebounder, but he is absolutely an upgrade in terms of offensive skill level at the forward position.