Predicting who will lead the Kentucky Wildcats in bench scoring

Who will lead the Kentucky Wildcats in bench scoring this season?

Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Kam Williams (3) reacts against the Santa Clara Broncos during the second half of a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Mark Pope does seem to have a lot of depth on this 2026-27 Kentucky roster, and a lot of this depth is high upside players like Kam Williams and Braydon Hawthorne. I am predicting the starting five this year for the Wildcats to be Zoom Diallo, Alex Wilkins, Milan Momcilovic, Ousmane N’Diaye, and Malachi Moreno.

This means that the bench depth for the Wildcats will include Hawthorne, Williams, Justin McBride, Franck Kepnang, Trent Noah, Jernoe Morton, and Mason Williams. I don’t see Reece Potter or Zyon Hawthorne getting much run this season. The question of the day is, with these being the predicted bench options for Pope, who will lead the Wildcats in bench scoring?

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

I would say the odds-on favorite right now is Kam Williams, who has already spent a year in the Pope system, and fans believe that he is really going to improve his shooting this season. He didn’t have a bad year shooting the three last year at 35.9%, but fans believe that he is capable of shooting over 40% from deep. If he does have a good year shooting the three-ball this season, he very well could lead the Wildcats in bench scoring.

Another name that could lead the Wildcats in points off the bench is Justin McBride. He averaged 15.3 points per game last season at JMU and shot the ball well from deep. He has gotten himself in really good shape, which should help him be a more well-rounded scorer. Knowing he is a really good three-point shooter, McBride is a very good fit for the Pope system.

Akron Zips guard Sharron Young (3) and forward Amani Lyles (0) work to block James Madison Dukes forward Justin McBride (21) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at James A. Rhodes Arena, Nov. 3, 2025, in Akron, Ohio | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two sleepers to lead the Wildcats in bench scoring would be Morton and Braydon Hawthorne. Morton was a really good role player for Washington State last season, proving he is ready for the jump to the SEC. The Lexington native can shoot the three-ball but also create for his teammates.

Hawthorne is the player all of BBN is excited to see on the floor after he redshirted last season. Everyone is hoping he is able to find his upside, and if he is able to do that this offseason, he very well could lead the Wildcats in bench scoring. This will be a wait and see thing for BBN, but everyone is hopeful. He and Morton are two longshots to lead the Wildcats in bench scoring. Pope is going to have some really good players coming off the bench this season.

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