Congolese Big Man Paul Mbiya Commits to Kansas Basketball

One day after landing a commitment from Kohl Rosario, Bill Self continued his success on the recruiting trail by adding star big man Paul Mbiya.

Oct 23, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self talks to media during the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

After going months between commitments, the Kansas Jayhawks have landed two impact players in as many days.

According to 247 Sports sources, Congolese big man Paul Mbiya committed to Bill Self and KU on Wednesday.

NEWS: Congolese big man Paul Mbiya has committed to Kansas, source tells @247Sports

The 6-11 big man who boasts a 7-7 wing span and was formerly signed to NC State.

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A 6-foot-10 big man who boasts an otherworldly 7-foot-7 wingspan, Mbiya asked out of his NLI from NC State after being committed to them for over a month.

Once he hit the open market again last week, On3 analyst Joe Tipton named Kansas and Oregon as the top competitors in the race to land Mbiya, and the Jayhawks came out on top.

Kansas conducted a Zoom call with Mbiya on Monday, and the coaching staff clearly sold him.

Mbiya sharpened his skills at the prestigious NBA Academy Africa and broke out with the club ASVEL Villeurbanne in France.

He averaged 15.5 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, and 1.1 steals in 32.5 minutes per game over 23 contests this past season.

That level of production is especially impressive given that he has only been playing basketball for three years.

With Mbiya's and Kohl Rosario's commitment, KU has filled 13 of its 14 available scholarships, leaving one more spot open.

It also likely takes Kansas out of the running for other bigs like Ege Demir and Brice Dessert since they now have a backup for Flory Bidunga in place.

In just a matter of days, Self and his staff have managed to turn what was looking like a troubling offseason into one of his most productive late recruiting surges in recent memory.