Why Kansas Fans Shouldn’t Panic About Jayhawks’ Big Man Situation

There are a lot of things to be excited about with the 2026-27 Kansas basketball roster, the most obvious being the addition of superstar freshman Tyran Stokes. Head coach Bill Self attempted to build a squad around him that enhances his skill set and won't require him to do all the heavy lifting.

But if there's one spot the coaching staff didn't entirely address at the beginning of the offseason, it is the center position. That is undoubtedly the top question mark going into the upcoming campaign.

We certainly cannot blame the staff for letting Flory Bidunga walk and not matching his $5 million NIL demands. However, it does feel as though they prioritized players in the backcourt and are now scrambling for answers.

As we've previously covered at Kansas on SI, the projected starter on Day 1 of the season is returning junior Paul Mbiya, as Charleston transfer Christian Reeves works his way back from shoulder surgery. There's no official timeline on when Reeves will be cleared for contact and 5-on-5 drills, leaving Mbiya and true freshman Davion Adkins as the only healthy and available centers to start the year.

With all that said, the center position is not going to make or break how this KU team performs. Right now, there’s no reason to be seriously concerned about who starts at the five to open the year, especially with a good chunk of the offseason still ahead of us.

Kansas Doesn’t Need a Spectacular Big Man

Whether you want to believe it or not, the Jayhawks have been spoiled with terrific big men over the past half-decade. Between Udoka Azubuike, Flory Bidunga, and Hunter Dickinson — yes, even Dickinson, who was a polarizing figure yet still a 20-point, double-double threat every night — KU has had big men that 99% of schools around the country would immediately take.

Needless to say, KU is not getting that level of production from any of its bigs this season, either offensively or defensively. One thing we need to realize, though, is that Coach Self has done more with a lot less.

Not to bash any of these former Jayhawks — they were all great in their own right — but look at the starting centers in the mid-2010s when the Jayhawks were an Elite Eight threat every year. Landen Lucas is the perfect example. He was 6-foot-9, not an impressive offensive player, and completely undersized for a five-man, yet he still got the job done when the team needed him to.

The hope is that Self can transform one of Mbiya or Reeves into that kind of role player who doesn't need to do much besides protect the rim, catch lobs, and get physical on the glass. There's also the looming possibility of Mihailo Mušikić being granted NCAA eligibility, which would give the Jayhawks an experienced role player to spell the team's top two centers.

Recent NCAA Eligibility Ruling Changes Everything

Mar 20, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Paul Mbiya (34) dunks against the California Baptist Lancers in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's say Mbiya or Reeves don't get the job done. Well, Coach Self essentially has a chance to redo his entire offseason with his final roster spot.

A recent broad court injunction granted dozens of Class of 2022 student-athletes an extra year of eligibility, and the Jayhawks have already been linked to several of them. The most notable name is former Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, with KU reportedly competing with Kentucky and BYU for his services.

A stretch big who averaged 8.2 rebounds over his final two seasons in East Lansing, it would be hard to picture a more perfect fit for the Jayhawks' frontcourt. He can step out beyond the 3-point line or play with his back to the basket, and he has already proven he can excel at the power-conference level.

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