When the 2025-26 basketball season officially tipped off, one thing that Bill Self mentioned was his desire for a team to grab loose balls and be more athletic when 50/50 opportunities came. Self felt that last season was a place where Kansas struggled mightily.
Last season, the Jayhawks managed 38.5 rebounds per game, which ranked 18th in the nation. Now, dependent on the coaching scheme, offensive and defensive rebounds matter varyingly, especially the former. So when you see that Self’s team ranked 172nd last season with 8.9 per game, of course, some of it is because most teams prioritize getting into defensive shape rather than over-committing and giving an easy transition opportunity.
This season, however, the two-time National Championship-winning coach has made an emphasis on grabbing more rebounds on both sides, yet so far things are not working as Self would have hoped.
In Saturday’s 76-57 win over the Princeton Tigers, Kansas made the move to start six-foot-eleven freshman forward Bryson Tiller. When asked why, Self responded,
“...You know, to me, Bryson's played better. He's still got to rebound. He's still got to play big…I don't think that was a hard decision at all. Plus, we don't rebound the ball like we should, so maybe try playing our biggest guys to see if we become a better rebounding team.”
Saturday was Tiller’s first start for Kansas, and the freshman notched five rebounds and six points on 1-6 shooting from the field, yet due to Self’s tenor, the thing that mattered most was that Tiller nabbed rebounds.
This season, Kansas has struggled with 39.5 rebounds per game, which ranks the Jayhawks 92nd in the nation.
Bill Self’s comments on Darryn Peterson have Kansas fans worried for Duke and beyond
When divying up those numbers further, Kansas ranks 300th in the nation with just 7.3 rebounds per game, and 17th in the nation with 29.8 defensive rebounds per game.
With Self looking to improve rebounding numbers, you can only assume that stands on both sides of the ball, and with Self’s recent lineup change, an attempt to improve those numbers (specifically offensive) is high on his list.
In Saturday’s win, Kansas raked in 43 rebounds to Princeton’s 31, and this season, Kansas has outrebounded every opponent barring No. 18 UNC, which outmuscled the Jayhawks by 12 with a 39-27 advantage.
Make sure to bookmark Through the Phog and follow us on X and Facebook with the username @Throughthephog