Kansas enters the 2026-27 season with plenty of moving parts, but the center spot looks like the clearest issue on the board. Bill Self has guards to work with and freshman phenom Tyran Stokes waiting in the wings, yet the real hinge for this team may be what happens around the rim.
That’s where Paul Mbiya comes in.
The 7-foot sophomore is one of only two impact returnees for Kansas, joining sophomore guard Kohl Rosario. His return gave Jayhawk fans something to grab onto after he flashed real promise during the 2026 postseason, when his role expanded after spending much of the regular season on the fringe of the rotation.
In two NCAA Tournament games, Mbiya put up 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while playing 14.5 minutes per game. He also blocked one shot in each contest.
That kind of stretch is enough to make Kansas think there’s something worth building on. Self certainly sounds that way. He said Mbiya could even crack the starting lineup this year.
“I can certainly see Paul being a starter,” Self said. “He’s had a good summer.
He’s improved a lot. He’s a lot more confident and playing bigger … the last week or so of summer he showed us all something that we hadn’t seen yet since he’s been here.”
Kansas does have other options, but none of them looks like a clean answer just yet. Charleston transfer Christian Reeves, a 7-foot-2 center, was added to help replace the production lost when All-Big 12 First Teamer and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Flory Bidunga transferred to Louisville this spring. Reeves, though, is already dealing with injury issues, and his college track record is limited to one productive season at Charleston.
Before that, Reeves spent two seasons at Duke and one at Clemson, averaging fewer than 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game while logging less than six minutes a night in each of those seasons. For now, he looks more like a depth piece than someone Kansas can count on every game.
The other addition, Serbian center Mihailo Mušikić, isn’t a sure thing either while he works through NCAA eligibility.
So if the Jayhawks want a real answer at center, the burden may fall on Mbiya to take a significant jump. Kansas has had plenty of big men grow into major roles under Self over the years - Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey and Thomas Robinson among them - and now the program is hoping Mbiya can be the next one to make that leap.
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 🡒]