Transfer update: KU basketball big man Paul Mbiya confirms he’s entering portal
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Paul Mbiya will enter the transfer portal, he confirmed to The Star on Monday.
- Portal opens April 7 and closes April 21; only a name submission is required.
- Mbiya is the third KU basketball frontcourt player reported to be entering the portal.
Kansas basketball center Paul Mbiya, who played sparingly as a freshman during the regular season before combining for 29 minutes in a pair of games in the NCAA Tournament, will enter the transfer portal when it opens after Monday’s NCAA championship game.
Mbiya confirmed to The Star on Monday afternoon that he was portal bound. On3.com’s Joe Tipton first reported the news.
Mbiya, a 7-footer from Kinshash, Congo, averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in 21 games in 2025-26 for KU.
Mbiya had eight points and three rebounds while playing 16 minutes in a first-round NCAA tourney victory over Cal Baptist in San Diego. He grabbed six rebounds to go with four points while playing 13 minutes in a second-round loss to St. John’s. He played in just seven Big 12 games.
Mbiya, who has a 7-foot-8 wingspan, scored four points two times — against Davidson and Kansas State.
Mbiya played the 2024-25 season in the ASVEL team system in the top-tier level French Pro A League. He averaged 15.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game in 2024-25. In 2023-24, he averaged 15.5 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game for the ASVEL U21 team. He also appeared in 10 games in 2023-24 for the top ASVEL team.
Prior to playing for ASVEL, he was part of the NBA Academy Africa and was a 2022 Basketball Without Borders All-Star selection.
He initially committed to play at North Carolina State last spring but opened his recruitment and chose KU.
The portal officially opens immediately after the title game. However, more than 1,000 players have already announced intentions to enter. The portal will close on April 21.
Players do not have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline. They must submit their name through their compliance office by that date.
Mbiya is the third KU frontcourt player to enter the portal. Bryson Tiller, a 6-11 freshman, announced Monday he is headed to the portal. Flory Bidunga, a 6-10 sophomore, has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft while also entering the portal.
A fourth player, guard Darryn Peterson, has completed his one-and-done season at KU and is likely NBA-bound.
KU has five players with remaining eligibility on the roster: rotation players Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell, seldom-used Samis Calderon, early season starter Kohl Rosario and redshirt freshman Corbin Allen. There has been speculation that up to four of those players, ultimately, may hit the portal.
KU has a recruiting class of incoming freshmen Taylen Kinney, Davion Adkins, Luke Barnett and Trent Perry. The No. 1 player in the class of 2026, Tyran Stokes, has an official list of KU, Kentucky and Oregon.
This story was originally published April 6, 2026 at 12:21 PM.
