Power forward has been one of the more interesting positions for the Kentucky Wildcats as Mark Pope missed on some great players in the portal, but I like the two players he added. Coach Pope added Sengelnesse forward Ousmane N’Diaye and JMU transfer Justin McBride. Most Kentucky fans expect N’Diaye to start for the Wildcats with McBride coming off the bench.
While this is the case, McBride has a chance to be a really good player for the Wildcats this season. Last year at James Madison, McBride averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. He shot 49.4% from the field and a very impressive 40% from three. He has spent some time at a big school, as he played at Oklahoma State during the 2023-24 season, where he was a teammate of former Wildcat Brandon Garrison.
McBride just shared a video on social media of him getting some reps in this offseason, and Kentucky fans were very impressed with how he handled the basketball. McBride is a tad bit undersized to play the four height-wise at 6’7, but he weighs about 240 pounds, so he won’t be moved easily.
Last season, Mo Dioubate and Andrija Jelavic weren’t that good from three, and this is something Pope needs from his power forwards. McBride is a very capable shooter who can pop out and make one, which he proved last season, shooting 40%…