KU basketball’s March Madness X-factor could be a player Bill Self just benched
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Bill Self benched Bryson Tiller after limited production and urged more physical play.
- KU needs Tiller’s physicality to keep St. John’s bigs from getting comfortable.
- Teammates urged confidence and a next‑play mentality as he slumps.
Shocked.
That’s how freshman forward Bryson Tiller described his emotions after being benched for the second half of Kansas’ Big 12 Tournament semifinal loss to Houston.
He finished with two points on 1-for-5 shooting and grabbed two rebounds in a season-low 14 minutes.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Tiller told The Star on Thursday. “There’s nothing we can do about it at this point.”
To Tiller’s credit, he called it a learning moment. And Kansas coach Bill Self’s message to him after the game was clear: be physical, rebound and play competitively. So, when he didn’t do that at points in KU’s win over Cal Baptist, Self was quick to voice his displeasure. There were multiple instances when Self would point out Tiller and give him an earful at the start of a timeout.
That said, when he made positive plays, Self was quick to celebrate him.
It’s become a delicate balance.
The Jayhawks desperately need Tiller to play his best against St. John’s, led by big man (and ex-KU Jayhawk) Zuby Ejiofor. That means playing with physicality and not letting the Red Storm’s bigs get comfortable in the post.
It will be a difficult matchup for the 6-foot-11, 240-pound Tiller, who will likely see possessions against the stout 6-foot-9, 245-pound Ejiofor.
That certainly could explain why Self has become more direct with the freshman of late. He can’t be too patient. It’s do or die in every remaining game. “Same thing I need to see from all our bigs,” Self said. ”Hit first, aggressiveness. You know, get 70% of the 50-50 balls.”
Speaking on the Jayhawks’ players at the three, four and five spots, Self added: “There are a lot of things that our bigs ... can do to put us in a better position, considering I know what their threes, fours and fives are capable of and being so good at those particular things.”
Since Tiller’s benching, multiple KU players told The Star they’ve tried to encourage him and not let him get down on himself. They, too, understand how important he is for KU’s aspirations of making a deep run.
“I told him on the bench today, ‘I’m going to need you next game,’” senior guard Melvin Council told The Star after KU’s win vs. Cal Baptist.
To do that, he’ll need to break his slump.
Tiller is averaging only 4.5 points over his last six games. He’s shot 30% or worse from the field five times.
“I feel like everybody hits a wall,” big man Flory Bidunga said. “I feel like he’s a great player. I don’t think this couple of games will cut him off or anything. I feel like he will come back even stronger.”
KU guard Elmarko Jackson told The Star that he sought out Tiller and gave advice after the benching.
Jackson himself has had an up-and-down year, so he understands what Tiller is going through. Jackson said he told Tiller to remember who he is as a player and that he’s shown up multiple times this season.
He also emphasized that Tiller should never hang his head. He needs to maintain a next-play mentality.
To Tiller’s credit, he’s seemed to do just that.
“His mentality is the same,” freshman guard Darryn Peterson said. “Not negative at all. Obviously, he wanted to be playing. It’s Coach’s decision, and we can’t control what Coach does. … I think he responded from it, not in a negative way at all.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2026 at 6:00 AM.
