Why Kansas Basketball Needs Paul Mbiya to Take a Big Leap Next Season

As the 2026-27 Kansas basketball season grows closer, there are questions abound as to what type of team the Jayhawks will have this year. But perhaps the biggest question mark heading into the season is what kind of production will head coach Bill Self get at the center position?

All-Big 12 First Teamer and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Flory Bidunga is gone after transferring to Louisville this spring – leaving a massive hold underneath for the Jayhawks this year.

7-foot-2 Charleston transfer Christian Reeves was brought in to help fill the big void left by Bidunga’s absence, but he’s already battling injury issues and has just one productive season of college basketball under his belt.

Prior to his one year at Charleston, Reeves spent two seasons at Duke and one season at Clemson, averaging less than 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game in less than six minutes of average playing time per season.

He should be expected to be more of a depth piece for the Jayhawks this season more so than one that can make a big impact game in and game out. And the recent addition of 7-foot Serbian center Mihailo Mušikić isn’t a guarantee as he is still working through NCAA eligibility.

If KU is hoping for more of a true solution at the position, they may have to hang their hopes on 7-foot sophomore center Paul Mbiya.

Mbiya is one of just two impact players returning for the Jayhawks this year, along with sophomore guard Kohl Rosario. His return was met with excitement from Jayhawk fans after catching a glimpse of his promise during the 2026 postseason where he found himself getting more playing time after playing sparingly during the season.

In two NCAA Tournament games, Mbiya averaged 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds while averaging 14.5 minutes per game. He also recorded one block each game.

Self recently praised Mbiya for his improvement this offseason and said he has a chance to start this year for the Jayhawks.

“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.”

The team knows what they’re getting out of freshman phenom Tyran Stokes, and they have a lot of good guards surrounding him. But they’ll need a reliable presence down low both on offense and defense to make this a formidable group.

If Mbiya can step up his game this offseason and take a big leap like so many KU big men have over the years under Self such as Cole Aldrich, Jeff Withey, and Thomas Robinson (to name a few), the Jayhawks may have their biggest question mark answered heading into next season.

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