Kansas Might Have Serious Concerns at Center After Christian Reeves Commitment

The Jayhawks will be counting on Bill Self's development to strenghen its frontcourt

Mar 19, 2025; Providence, RI, USA; Clemson Tigers center Christian Reeves (14) works with a coaching assistant at a practice at Amica Mutual Pavilion. | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

The plan at center for Kansas might not be going according to plan.

After the Jayhawks lost superstar Flory Bidunga to the transfer portal earlier this offseason, Bill Self has been struggling to replace him on the roster.

Kansas was involved with Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam before he committed to Michigan on Friday and was also interested in Charlotte center Anton Bonke before his commitment to Michigan State.

But the Jayhawks landed a commitment on Friday from a transfer portal center who played at Duke for two years – except his career as a Blue Devil was quite forgettable.

Christian Reeves committed to Kansas after finally getting extended playing time at Charleston last season, averaging 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He began his career as a 3-star recruit before committing to Duke and then playing for a season at Clemson.

Reeves played a total of 16 games in his two seasons in Durham while averaging just 5.1 minutes in 29 games played as a Tiger. Now, he will try and lead a Kansas frontcourt as he steps back into high-major competition.

Kansas also returned freshman center Paul Mbiya after he tested the waters of the transfer portal before withdrawing. Mbiya rarely played last season, logging just 5.0 minutes in 21 games but showed some promise in the NCAA Tournament, going for eight points in the Round of 64 against Cal Baptist and four points and six rebounds in the Round of 32 against St. John’s.

Still, it’s an unproven frontcourt for Bill Self entering this season as he tried to get the Jayhawks to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022.

Despite its many transfer portal defections, Kansas added Utah’s Keanu Dawes and Toldeo’s Leroy Blyden Jr. while remaining heavily in the mix for Tyran Stokes, the top ranked high school recruit in the country.

Given its question marks at center, it will be interesting to see how Self fills out the rest of his roster.