Did Bill Self and Kansas Do Enough in the Offseason to Replace Flory Bidunga?

It was a well-known fact that Darryn Peterson would be leaving Kansas after his lone season in Lawrence to declare for the NBA Draft, but the departure of Flory Bidunga stung a lot more. The 2025-26 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year entered the transfer portal shortly after the campaign concluded, committing to Pat Kelsey and Louisville in April.

Jayhawk fans can't fault the program for not matching Bidunga's lucrative reported salary in NIL benefits, which some outlets projected over $5 million. However, KU was hard-pressed to find another big man on the open market who could protect the rim to the same extent as the Congo native.

With Mihailo Mušikić likely out of the equation due to the NCAA's new age rules on international players, the Jayhawks only have three centers on the roster, none of whom have experience starting at the Power 5 level. Will the team be able to overcome the questions about its center rotation?

Kansas’ Frontcourt Remains an Issue Ahead of the Season

The two starting center options for Kansas aren't exactly the most appealing. It will come down to Charleston transfer Christian Reeves — depending on his injury timeline — or returning junior Paul Mbiya. That won't be determined until a few weeks before the regular season and should be fluid throughout offseason workouts, but Mbiya is the presumed favorite due to Reeves' uncertain recovery from labrum surgery.

Plenty of more proven options passed through the transfer portal this offseason, only for the Jayhawks to whiff on all of them. The team settled on Reeves as their portal addition, though his injury-riddled past and lack of production in a more prominent conference don't inspire much confidence.

I'm fully buying into the hype surrounding Mbiya heading into the year, primarily because of the positive traits he showed in last year's NCAA Tournament. His 7-foot-8 wingspan and chiseled frame make him a breakout candidate for the Jayhawks.

Still, even a big jump in production for Mbiya may not be enough to make him a viable starter. We're talking about a player who averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds as a freshman. And quite frankly, the Jayhawks are going to go through some growing pains given the raw nature of his skill set.

Louisville forward Flory Bidunga (40) during team practice on July 23, 2026 before a two-game exhibition tour in the Bahamas. The Cards finished 24-11 overall last season. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Whoever is designated as the "starter" does not necessarily have an advantage in playing time, either. There's a good chance the coaching staff rolls with the best option each night, with both players averaging around 15 to 20 minutes per game.

The good thing is that the majority of the offense's production will come from the backcourt, thanks to shot creators like Tyran Stokes, Leroy Blyden Jr., and Taylen Kinney. Utah transfer Keanu Dawes also has a chance to see minutes as a small-ball five if he can handle an extended workload in the paint.

The fact of the matter is that Kansas didn't fully address its frontcourt issues in the offseason after losing Bidunga. The team hopes the combined production from Mbiya and Reeves can somewhat replace what it got from him, but if one of them doesn't work out, KU could be in a bad spot. The center room is a glaring weakness for the Jayhawks entering the season.

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