One of Kansas basketball’s biggest strengths this season has been its big man rotation between seniors Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams, as well as 5-star freshman, Flory Bidunga. But with both Dickinson and Adams graduating, the Jayhawks will be leaning on fresh faces, such as incoming freshman PF Bryson Tiller, who suffered an injury recently.
Tiller committed to Kansas in November of last year and has even been attending KU in Lawrence for the Spring semester. Being involved with the team and getting exposure to how Bill Self likes things done early is great for his future outlook, but he was spotted at the Kansas-UCF Big 12 Tournament game on a scooter with a cast on his leg:
Bryson Tiller in a cast and aided by a scooter. #kubball pic.twitter.com/9aXkQyVbTS
— Jack Ritter (@jackrritt) March 13, 2025
This is now the 2nd time that Tiller has suffered a significant injury by the looks of it. Prior to this recent injury, Tiller injured his ankle over the summer, forcing him to sit out for a while. At the time, he was the 15th-ranked recruit in his class and a 5-star prospect. This injury contributed to him dropping to 4-star prospect (No. 88 overall), according to ESPN.
There has not been any communication from Bill Self or the Jayhawks about the extent of Tiller's injury as of yet, but KU fans will definitely be monitoring this situation moving forward.
What does Tiller provide on the court when healthy?
Listed as a true PF prospect, Tiller will give KU great positional size next year, standing at 6-foot-10. For reference, Bidunga is 6-foot-9, so their size profiles are roughly the same. It is still up in the air if Tiller has a chance to start next season or if he will function as a third big, averaging 12 to 18 minutes per game like Bidunga did this year for Kansas.
On top of height, Tiller also presents tremendous bulk and size thanks to his 240-pound frame. He already has a borderline-NBA body and should be able to bully some teams who are smaller or lack the toughness needed to bang down low in the paint.
In addition to the physical attributes, he also showcases some ability to stretch the floor and intriguing shooting touch. With OTE in the 2023-2024 regular season, Tiller shot 68.5% from the FT line which is a great starting spot for a young big. As a freshman, Bidunga currently shoots just 53.3% from the charity stripe and Adams Jr. was a 60% FT shooter prior to his senior year.
Tiller’s 3-point stroke is less promising, as he shot just 20% from beyond the arc in the regular season for OTE, however he did raise this slightly in the playoffs shooting 26.7% and has undoubtedly been working on his shot in Lawrence this year. If things pan out, Tiller and Bidunga could be an elite big duo for KU in a year or two.