Earlier this month Bill Self was on Jon Rothstein’s “Inside College Basketball Now."
During the legendary head coach’s appearance, Self asked himself a series of questions about his upcoming team. Towards the end of his thoughts, he asked, “And then, of course, do we have a five guy that can anchor?”
The Jayhawks aren’t even five months removed from having their previous anchor, Flory Bidunga, hit the NCAA Transfer Portal and land with the Louisville Cardinals. Meaning right now, either Christian Reeves or Paul Mbiya will have to become that anchor, if/until KU adds another competitor to that spot.
It feels reasonable to assume that the Jayhawks are going to be lacking some of the defensive pop that Bidunga had last season. That isn’t a knock on Mbiya or Reeves, but more of a compliment to how well Bidunga defended the paint.
The Jayhawks are going to be enlisting relatively unproven talent almost regardless
However, if there is one thing you can guarantee about this spot, it is that the Jayhawks will be playing someone who hasn’t really lived through a season in the Big 12.
Paul Mbiya: Mbiya played a relatively bit-part role in year one with the Jayhawks. Mbiya came alive during Kansas’ final two games of the season against Cal Baptist and St. John’s, keeping Kansas afloat in both, but when he was on the court, he looked like what you would expect a freshman to look like: promise, but way too raw to earn valuable minutes. But Self specializes in getting the best out of his players, and Mbiya isn’t a transfer, but rather someone who is entering his second season under the Self regime.
Christian Reeves: Across two seasons with the Duke Blue Devils, Reeves played in 16 games, totaling 25 points, seven rebounds and 1 block. Reeves then made the move to Clemson. In one year with the Tigers, Reeves totaled 36 points, 7 blocks and 43 rebounds. Reeves then transferred to the College of Charleston, where he was able to average 11.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.4 blocks on a 65.4% field goal rate.
Before making the move to the Jayhawks, Reeves was nominated as a 4-star transfer and the nation’s 173rd-best prospect and 24th-best center in the portal.
Who gets the starting gig?
While it is fair to expect both players to get good minutes this season and provide one of the better center tandems in the Big 12, Mbiya likely gets the starting job. For one, Self has been really positive about his development in his few appearances during the offseason. Secondly, Reeves underwent shoulder surgery this offseason, and while Self is adament, Reeves will be fully fit by the time the season tips off, Self was also hesitant about when Reeves would be back to full-contact in practice. This gives Mbiya a great head start to get his grip on the job and force Reeves to play from behind.
Overall Grade: B
Both Reeves and Mbiya will come in handy next season and they both have high floors, but their ceilings are still in question.
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