While much of the attention in the transfer portal goes to the top targets, you need to build a full roster. Still with starting spots to be claimed, Kentucky also looking at depth pieces. The most recent, James Madison transfer Justin McBride.

After talking to the staff this week via Zoom video call, McBride is scheduled to take a visit to Lexington on Tuesday.

A three-star transfer, ranked 201st overall according to 247Sports, McBride is being recruited by multiple power conference teams including Baylor and Cal, as well as SEC foes Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Out of high school, McBride was a four-star recruit, ranked in the top 150 nationally.

“He is a versatile player who has that IT factor about him. You can tell by the passion he plays with that there is a huge chip on his shoulder,” 247Sports asked program director Vonzell Thomas said as he evaluated McBride out of high school. “What I like about his game is his will to win. He does whatever it takes to win and not every kid has that mentality.”

From Texas, McBride committed to Oklahoma State over the likes of Kansas and Arkansas, where he played alongside former Wildcat Bandon Garrison. There, he appeared in just 24 games, averaging just over five minutes per game.

Seeking a larger role, McBride entered the transfer portal and dropped to the mid-major level, committing to Nevada. With the Wolfpack he nearly tripled both his minutes and production, averaging 7.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game. His most recent stop, James Madison this past season, McBride had a breakout year, averaging 15.3 points and 5.6 rebounds on 40 percent shooting from deep.

Entering his senior season, the 6-7, 240 pound McBride is eyeing a jump back to the power conference level, prioritizing fit at his next stop.

Will that be Kentucky?

McBride has good size and athleticism, and has an inside-out style of game. Meaning he can work his away around the paint, but can also space the floor with his shooting, grading fairly well as a catch and shoot guy. Overall, he ranks in the 97th percentile in scoring volume. That said, there is come consistency to be lacked on the defensive side.

Mark Pope has added Hofstra transfer guard Cruz Davis to the long list of players visiting campus this week, looking to smartly add depth at the guard position.

The 6-foot-3 junior averaged 20.1 points per game in the 2025-26 season, ranking as the 29th highest scorer in college basketball. He also dished out 4.7 assists per game for the Pride, leading their offense in both categories.

A former three-star recruit out of Huntington, West Virginia, he now hails as the 28th overall prospect in the portal and as the No. 8 point guard available. He made stops in Iona for the 2022-23 season, where Davis averaged 6.5 points per game as a freshman.

Transferring to St. John’s for his sophomore stint, the Plano, Texas native only played in four games for the Red Storm, receiving an extra year of eligibility. His past two seasons were spent with head coach Speedy Claxton in New York, now leading to a potential chapter in Lexington.

Davis is an isolation scorer who drops buckets primarily off of pull-up jumpers. Although that may not sound efficient or pretty to the Big Blue Nation at first, it can be noted that he shot 44% from the field and 40% from deep last year, proving he isn’t just an inconsistent, shot-chucking guard.

Colorado forward Sebastian Rancik and Furman guard Alex Wilkins, who are both currently on campus, will just miss Davis as he will take an in-person visit sometime later this week according to On3’s Joe Tipton. He will likely clash with Utah guard Terrence Brown, who will visit Kentucky on Friday, April 17 per Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman.

As the portal season is in full swing, these players’ decisions will be crucially watched in the coming days for Pope and his staff.

Mark Pope has officially landed his first pickup of the offseason out of the transfer portal, earning a commitment from Washington guard Zoom Diallo on Wednesday, April 15.

The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 15.7 points per game in the 2025-26 season, adding on 3.9 rebounds per game and 4.5 assists per game on 48.9% shooting from the field. Although his shooting percentages from three and the free-throw line were not pretty his freshman year, Diallo took a major jump in his second stint with the Huskies, taking a near 13% jump in both categories.

A former McDonald’s All-American, Diallo was once recruited by former head coach John Calipari out of high school, although an official offer was never in place. He played at Prolific Prep in California his senior year, once a teammate of Kentucky target Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall recruit in the 2026 class.

Diallo ranks as the 26th-best transfer in the class and as the seventh-best guard in the portal, inserting his name back on April 3 with a decision to return to Washington still open. Now, just over a week later, the eventual junior will continue his career in Lexington.

As the John Wall “BOOM” post circulated around Twitter (X), Diallo shared a message to his social media after his life-changing commitment. “253 ➡️ 859 #BBN”

With all hands on deck and a quiet approach from the Kentucky staff, the transfer guard will remain as the Wildcats’ first pickup from the portal and as the 2026-27 squad’s best option to run the one.