Total portal madness, Tiller/Bidunga + football highlight this KU Jayhawks Q&A
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- Transfer portal activity can produce major changes in player plans within 48 hours.
- Kameron Taylor was planning a Lawrence visit with details being finalized.
- On Friday morning Conley told the author Taylor would not be going to Lawrence.
A lot can change in the span of 48 hours.
No place is this more true, or so it seems, than the NCAA transfer portal.
On Wednesday, I reported that UNC Asheville guard Kameron Taylor was planning to visit Lawrence on Sunday and that details were being finalized.
Well, on Friday morning, I got a call from Taylor’s agent, James Conley. He informed me that his client wasn’t coming to Lawrence anymore — that they’d decided to go in a different direction and would not be making a visit to check out head coach Bill Self’s Jayhawks program.
I asked for clarification, and the agent said Kansas is out of the running now. Taylor may well transfer, but it won’t be to KU.
To say the portal is wild right now is a major understatement.
I’ve spent the last three days, since the portal opened, waking up at 7 a.m. and texting various sources. I’m searching for the phone numbers of players and agents to whom the Jayhawks have been linked.
Occasionally I’ll get tipped off about a player KU is interested in. And now my phone has a bunch of unsaved numbers from texts and calls I’ve made to various players and agents. If there’s any perceived interest from KU toward a particular prospect, real or not, I’ve probably reached out to him.
Unlike last year, when players and agents seemed to speak more freely, getting information directly from the source has been a lot more difficult in 2026.
That won’t stop me from trying. It’s an exhausting but fun task.
With that, let’s jump into another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. Thanks, as always, for the questions …
Does it seem like we are going to repeat past mistakes and recruit mid major players, hope they translate to the size and play of the big 12 and hope and pray from there? Or did we learn the Michigan blueprint, recruit size, length and shot making ability from experienced schools? @Pushin_Chimpers
From what I’ve been told, the plan for KU’s roster next season is to be bigger, stronger and more physical.
That’s one of the reasons why Self wanted Bryson Tiller to get more aggressive and play more true to his size. The coaching staff saw how the pairing of Flory Bidunga and Tiller had some issues against bigger bigs.
It’s too early to tell how things might play out with KU’s roster, but there’s hope the Jayhawks won’t make the same mistakes they did last year.
Not sure if you’ve covered this already, but what’s the status of the basketball coaching staff? Will there be changes to assistant coaches? @ShnopsDeJesus
At the moment, the expectation is no. That said, it’s quite early in the offseason. We’ll see how things progress.
There has to be a reason beyond money and playing time Flo and Tiller are leaving, what is it?@kusteveh
I’ve reported on this before, but the past month or so hasn’t been the best for Tiller — or KU’s coaching staff.
The Atlanta native was benched in the second half of a Big 12 Tournament semifinal loss to Houston. He later told The Star he was “shocked” by how everything unfolded.
Multiple sources have told The Star that KU’s coaching staff believed in Tiller’s potential but wanted to see more physicality and aggression. According to sources, the coaches wanted to see Tiller play in a style befitting his 6-foot-11 frame.
Tiller told The Star that his goal this offseason was to improve on those things. As for Flory, it comes down to money and a reported asking price that may be too steep for the Jayhawks. KU would love for Bidunga to stay, of course.
What’s the QB competition looking like? @jake_moore20
I’m told it’s still a competitive battle between Cole Ballard and Isaiah Marshall, with neither quarterback creating much separation from the other.
I expect this competition will extend well into training camp. Ultimately, the winner will be the more consistent signal-caller.
