There’s plenty to like about Kansas’ 2026-27 roster, and it starts with the arrival of superstar freshman Tyran Stokes. Bill Self built around him with the idea of making life easier on his new centerpiece, not forcing Stokes to carry everything from day one.
But if there’s one area that still looks unfinished, it’s the middle of the floor. The center spot is the biggest question hanging over the Jayhawks right now, and it was the one place the staff didn’t fully settle early in the offseason.
Kansas can’t really be faulted for letting Flory Bidunga walk rather than meeting his $5 million NIL ask. Even so, the roster-building clearly leaned toward the backcourt, and now the frontcourt is the area that feels most unsettled.
For the moment, the Day 1 starter looks like returning junior Paul Mbiya, with Charleston transfer Christian Reeves still working back from shoulder surgery. There’s no official timetable for Reeves to be cleared for contact and 5-on-5 work, which leaves Mbiya and true freshman Davion Adkins as the only healthy, available centers to open the season.
Still, this isn’t the kind of issue that should send Kansas fans into a full-blown panic. The five spot is a question, sure, but it’s not the kind of problem that should decide the season by itself, especially with plenty of offseason left.
Part of the reason is simple: Kansas has been spoiled by elite bigs for years. Udoka Azubuike, Flory Bidunga and Hunter Dickinson gave the Jayhawks a level of production most programs would love to have. Dickinson was polarizing, but he still gave Kansas a 20-point, double-double threat night after night.
That kind of output is not what Kansas is going to get from its centers this season, offensively or defensively. But Self has a long track record of getting real value out of less glamorous pieces, and the program’s mid-2010s teams are proof of that. Landen Lucas is the cleanest example: a 6-foot-9 center who wasn’t a major scorer and was undersized for the position, yet still filled the role Kansas needed when it mattered.
That’s the template here. The Jayhawks don’t necessarily need a star at center. They need one of Mbiya or Reeves to become a steady role player who can protect the rim, finish lobs and bring some force on the boards.
There’s also the possibility that Mihailo Mušikić gets NCAA eligibility, which would give Kansas another experienced body to help spell the top two centers.
And if the current group doesn’t hold up, Self may still have a path to address it before the roster is set. A recent broad court injunction gave dozens of Class of 2022 student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, and Kansas has already been connected to several of them.
The biggest name in that mix is former Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, with Kansas reportedly up against Kentucky and BYU for him. Kohler averaged 8.2 rebounds over his final two seasons in East Lansing, and he brings the kind of versatility that would fit cleanly in Lawrence. He can step out to the 3-point line or operate with his back to the basket, and he has already shown he can produce at the power-conference level.
In Other News...
Kansas Eligibility Drama Just Got More Complicated For Two Jayhawks
A federal ruling this week has added another layer to the eligibility picture for college basketball players who have already used four seasons, and it could matter down the road for Kansas. U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney granted a preliminary injunction that would allow Division I athletes from the high school class of 2022, if they exhausted their fourth season of eligibility this spring, to compete again during the 2026-27 academic year.
For the Jayhawks, the timing complicates two separate lawsuits involving former players Melvin Council Jr. and Jayden Dawson, both of whom are seeking extra eligibility. The NCAA is expected to appeal the ruling, so nothing is settled yet, but the decision adds another moving part to an already tangled set of legal fights that could shape who is available for Kansas and when. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Sends Kansas Fans A Clear Message On Darryn Peterson
Darryn Petersons first professional summer has given Kansas fans a useful reminder of what made him such a compelling player in Lawrence. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by Utah spent summer league showing flashes of the talent that made him one of the most watched players in college basketball, even if the results came with the usual uneven stretches that tend to come with that setting.
Bill Selfs read on it was straightforward: Peterson did not blow anyone away, but he did enough to reinforce the idea that his ceiling is still very much intact. Self pointed to the promise Peterson showed after an all-Big 12 second-team season at Kansas, a run that came while he battled health issues in his final year. For Jayhawk followers, the bigger question now is how much more there is to unlock once he gets settled at the next level. [Read more 🡒]
Bill Self Faces A Bigger Kansas Roster Question Than Fans Realize
The NCAAs recent eligibility ruling has reopened the roster market for a lot of programs, and Kansas is already being linked to the frontcourt search. One name that has surfaced is former Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler, a possible fit as Bill Self continues to evaluate how to add size and depth around the paint for next season.
CBS Sports also reported Kansas had interest in Auburn forward Keyshawn Hall, but a Kansas spokesperson confirmed no contact has been made with Hall. Hall has bounced around multiple schools and is drawing attention from several programs, so his name will keep circulating in transfer chatter, but for now the Jayhawks most meaningful roster questions appear to be just getting started. [Read more 🡒]