Mark Pope has two new transfer portal players coming to visit Kentucky next week

Mark Pope has set up two new visits in the transfer portal.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope speaks during the postgame press conference after the game against the Iowa State Cyclones during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Le-Imagn Images | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Mark Pope has officially landed two players in the transfer portal, as Washington point guard Zoom Diallo and Furman point guard Alex Wilkins have picked Kentucky. The Wildcats needed to hammer down on players in the backcourt this portal cycle, and Pope has done that. Now it is time to start adding players to the frontcourt.

Coach Pope has scheduled two visits for this week with players who would come in and play roles in Kentucky’s frontcourt. One is James Madison’s Justin McBride, and the other is USC center, Gabe Dynes.

Dynes is a very interesting player as he is 7’5 and is a Kentucky native from Independence. In his first year with the Trojans, he averaged 2.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and one block per game. The size at 7’5 is undeniable, but I do have questions about his physicality and ability to get up and down the floor quickly.

7’4 Big Gabe Dynes had a standout performance tonight in his USC Debut.

9 Points
8 Rebounds
3 Assists
7 Blocks
4/6 FG

Dynes made his High Major debut where he showcased strong play on both ends protecting the rim at a high level and playing as a rebounder and dunking threat… pic.twitter.com/Gtq0gJ1it5

— KJ (@KJScouting) October 19, 2025

McBride had a really good year for the Dukes, where he averaged 15.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. The junior forward shot 49.4% from the field and an impressive 40% from three. This 40% three point percentage came on 3.1 attempts per game, so McBride is more than capable of popping out and making one. This is nice because it was lacking from Mo Dioubate last season.

⚜️Available Transfer⚜️

Justin McBride
🧩Wing Versatile🧩
Nevada
**2 Years of Eligibility Remaining**

7.8 PPG | 4.2 RPG | 0.6 APG | 52.2 FG%@JustinMcbride23 @TXRecruitedFilm @KirkLeeNoles #Transfers… pic.twitter.com/UmYDOCsXGI

— Transfer Tapes (@TransferTapes) April 2, 2025

Dynes would likely come in as the backup for Malachi Moreno, assuming he does pull his name out of the draft. Big Blue Nation is hoping that McBride will be the backup for Donnie Freeman if both of these transfers end up deciding to play for Pope and Kentucky.

Both of these visits are this week, so Pope will do everything in his power to try and land these two frontcourt pieces. I have some questions about Dynes and how he would be able to fit in the SEC, but at 7’5, he would be able to protect the rim and throw down a lot of alley-oop dunks. McBride is a player who could come in and be an excellent role player for Pope off the bench with his ability to shoot the three-ball.

Visits so far in the portal for Pope have been hit or miss, so Big Blue Nation will hope that these two visits go well, and the staff is able to add two more transfers to the 2026-27 roster. This will be a very big week for Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats.