Justin McBride explains how his shooting ability can help the Kentucky Wildcats

One underrated addition Mark Pope made this offseason was bringing in JMU transfer power forward Justin McBride. He has had multiple stops in college basketball, but this stop at JMU was the one that really got his career going. This year for the Dukes, McBride averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game.

The part of his game that saw the biggest jump during his time at JMU was his three-point shooting. McBride shot 40% from deep on 3.1 threes per game. This was the best three-point percentage of his college career by a long shot, and he has credited his fit in the JMU system for why he had such a good season.

Justin McBride believes in “playing the game the right way” and that’s why playing for Mark Pope made sense. pic.twitter.com/p6QsAKUSsU
— UK Sports Network (@UKSportsNetwork) July 7, 2026

McBride has talked about how he feels that same way about the Pope system and believes he is going to be a really good fit. McBride spoke with the UK Sports Network about his fit in the Pope system and why his shooting is going to be such a plus for this basketball team.

Here is what McBride said about how his shooting fits in the Pope system: “I would say shooting ability is really good. Just running the floor as a big finding mismatches and just playing the right way of Mark Pope basketball. Finding open shots, playing through motion instead of doing stagnant plays. That's the biggest thing for me.”

I still believe that McBride is going to come off the bench for the Wildcats, relieving Ousmane N’Diaye, but these two are going to create an elite one-two punch. McBride talked about how he is really close with N’Diaye, and while they are competing for minutes on the floor, they are here to make one another better. This will ultimately make Kentucky a better basketball team.

UK versus Vanderbilt during their game in Rupp Arena in Lexington. on Jan. 5, 2021. Uk Vandy23 Sam | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There have been a lot of positive reports about McBride so far in summer practice, so I believe he is going to have a really good season for Coach Pope. McBride brings a lot to the table, but if he can come off the bench and shoot the ball well from deep, he is going to be a massive part of Kentucky’s success.

McBride won’t get a lot of national media attention, but if the Wildcats do end up being a really good team this season, he will be a big reason why. Now, having heard McBride talk multiple times, he is going to be a fan favorite this season in Lexington.

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