Redshirt freshman Bryson Tiller had an up-and-down season for the Kansas Jayhawks. While Tiller was a consistent starter for Bill Self in the 2025-2026 season, his play would see great highs, but also very low lows.
Tiller shared the paint a lot with big man Flory Bidunga, who averaged 13.3 points per game this past season. Now, with the news of Bidunga moving on to the NBA or, at the very least, the transfer portal, it leaves a big gap in the Jayhawks' scoring for next season.
The top three leading scorers for Kansas this season were Darryn Peterson, Tre White, and Bidunga, and to add one to the measure, Melvin Council Jr. was a close fourth. Both White and Council are most likely out of eligibility, Peterson is for sure heading to the NBA, and now Bidunga is out the door.
The good news for Kansas is that, as of right now, their next leading scorer is Tiller, who, as of right now, is sticking around in Lawrence and could be the answer Kansas is looking for with Bidunga leaving.
Bryson Tiller can finally step into the limelight with Flory Bidunga gone
While Tiller struggled heavily at times, it also felt like he wasn't being used in the best manner whenever Bidunga was on the court. Tiller showed flashes of greatness in the paint, but usually it was when Bidunga was off the court, and Tiller was able to be the general in the middle of the floor.
With Bidunga gone, it opens the door for Tiller to step into his big man role and average more than just 7.9 points per game. Bill Self has always been a coach who loves his big guy in the paint disrupting everything for defenses.
Tiller proved in quite a few games that he could be that presence in the paint, but with Bidunga's growth this season, Self couldn't leave him off the court for very long. As long as Tiller chooses to stay at Kansas and with the return of Self to the team, the 6-foot-11 forward will benefit greatly next season.