Kansas Basketball's Depth Shortage Will Prove Costly in March Madness

The Kansas basketball roster is facing a significant dilemma at the worst possible time. Bill Self has seemingly outed one of his top five players with the NCAA Tournament looming.

Amid an incredibly rough stretch, big man Bryson Tiller was benched for the entirety of the second half on Friday night against Houston. Self was unhappy with his effort on both ends of the floor after he made several mental lapses that led to points on the other end and made questionable offensive decisions.

This was the second game in a row that Tiller sat most or all of the final 20 minutes of the game, with sixth man Elmarko Jackson instead filling in his place at the beginning of the half. But given the current state of KU's bench, it simply cannot afford to lose a player as productive as Tiller at this stage in the season.

Kansas Basketball's Bench Dilemma

The Jayhawks had the entire regular season to experiment with their bench, but a grueling Big 12 slate and inconsistent play from the second unit forced Coach Self to rely on a seven or eight-man rotation. The two players who heard their names called off the bench more than anyone were Jackson and Jamari McDowell, with sporadic appearances from either Jayden Dawson or Kohl Rosario.

However, now that the team is already 33 games into the season, it's hard to imagine a world where one of KU's bench guys can step into a larger role and match what Tiller was giving the team throughout most of December and January.

When we say Kansas' bench is bad, we mean it is bad. It is one of the weakest in the country and might be the weakest in the Big 12. By the end of the regular season, Kansas ranked No. 352 nationally in bench points per game (11.57). There are 365 teams at the Division I level. You can decide whether that number is acceptable for a team looking to compete for a national championship.

Kansas Jayhawks Players — Mar 13, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) reacts to game play on the bench during the second half against the Houston Cougars at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Keep in mind, those numbers were among the worst in the nation even when Tiller was a serviceable starter for most of the year. But now that he is in the doghouse, it remains to be seen whether he will even run out with the typical starting five when the Jayhawks take the floor in the Round of 64 next week.

Kansas is one of the few teams around the country that is considered a contender that cannot stray far from its usual starting five. The Jayhawks have so little depth and so few reliable options off the bench that it is truly a scary thought to imagine how the tournament will unfold if Tiller is the odd man out.

If Tiller continues to struggle, there could come a point in March Madness where Kansas is forced to rely heavily on Jackson and McDowell for meaningful minutes down the stretch. Those two players have had their fair share of ups and downs this season, but they don't possess the size down low that Tiller does.

Whether it is a product of poor roster construction or simply bad luck on the coaching staff's part, these are not problems a team wants to encounter a week before the season will be on the line in March Madness. The lack of bench production from Kansas' second unit will potentially be the reason for its eventual elimination.