Mark Pope compares Justin McBride to former Wildcat Julius Randle

The Kentucky Basketball squad kicked off its practice schedule earlier this month, and one of the early standouts who has genuinely caught people off guard is James Madison transfer Justin McBride. A key factor behind his strong showing is the conditioning work he dedicated himself to during the offseason, well before he ever set foot in Lexington.

McBride, whose collegiate journey includes stops at Oklahoma State, Nevada, and most recently James Madison, is now listed at 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds on Kentucky’s official roster. Those measurements are actually heavier than what he was listed at during his previous tenures, yet he is currently carrying his best physique to date.

Per a source close to the program, McBride has shed roughly 10 to 12 pounds of body fat relative to his peak playing weight at James Madison. That transformation has translated into greater agility during practice sessions, which has come as an unexpected but welcome development for the coaching staff, given their initial expectations.

During a recent ‘Mark Pope vs. the Shot Clock’ segment on the UK Sports Network, head coach Mark Pope drew a notable comparison for McBride.

“Julius Randle vibes, seriously,” Pope remarked.

Randle, of course, earned SEC Rookie of the Year and All-American honors during his lone season at Kentucky, so that is certainly lofty praise. Still, Pope isn’t equating McBride’s overall talent level to Randle’s rather, he is pointing to similarities in their playing styles.

Analytically, McBride rates exceptionally well as a catch-and-shoot threat, having connected on 40 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc last year a skill Randle has also developed over his NBA career.

In addition, much like Randle, McBride leverages his frame to carve out space in the paint and forcefully battle for rebounds.

Adding a physical, bully-ball type of forward who also poses a legitimate threat from three-point range represents a valuable new element for a Kentucky program that has often lacked toughness and interior grit in recent campaigns.