Paul Mbiya wants KU basketball fans to know he’ll be a different player next year
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- Mbiya filmed a social video ahead of his impending return to KU.
- Mbiya said he would be on campus soon to join summer work.
- Mbiya averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 21 games during his freshman season.
Kansas sophomore center Paul Mbiya, who has been working out in France the last four weeks, has filmed a social media video in advance of his impending arrival for summer school and summer weightlifting and skill work with members of the 2026-27 KU men’s basketball team.
“I’ll be on the campus next week, and I’m excited to work with my new teammates and the staff,” Mbiya, a 7-foot, 245-pound native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, said Sunday in a message to KU fans on his Instagram page.
“My summer was super boring. I only did one thing — work, work and work,” he stated as the video showed three of his slam dunks at a recent overseas practice.
Coach Bill Self told The Star Thursday the big man “had to handle his visa status” for the coming school year and was due to return to campus from France on Monday. Mbiya has friends and representation living in France.
Mbiya hopes his nickname, “Mobutu,” catches on this season, his second at KU.
“Mobutu is the name of a strong president in my country, DRC,” Mbiya said in the video, ostensibly referring to Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled for 32 years.
“Some people say he was a dictator, and because I love to dominate the paint and to be the force they gave me that nickname. (I’m) young, athletic with a lot of talent,” Mbiya explained.
KU’s 2025-26 school year officially ended May 17. The summer session at KU began June 1. The NCAA allows teams to practice eight hours a week while summer school is in session. Summer school concludes July 24.
Mbiya averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds a game in limited duty during 21 games his freshman season. In the NCAA Tournament, he scored a career-high eight points vs. California Baptist and secured a career-best six rebounds vs. St. John’s He scored four points in a win over Davidson in December and Kansas State in March.
“Last season I was not able to show who I am. This season you will see the real me. You will see ‘Mobutu, the dictator of the paint,’” he declared.
Mbiya played for ASVEL team system in the top-tier French Pro A League during the 2024-25 season.
After failing to be included in the regular rotation at KU last season, he considered entering the transfer portal. He ultimately decided to return for a second season in Lawrence, announcing his plans in a social media post that came a few hours before the closure of the transfer portal on April 21.
At the time, Mbiya, who has a 7-foot-8 wingspan, said: “I’m staying at the University of Kansas. This decision comes from the heart. Through every challenge, every doubt, and every moment of adversity, I’ve grown stronger. I’m not running from anything — I’m embracing it. I want my coaches, my future teammates, and the fans to know that I believe in this journey.
“I believe in who I am becoming. I’m a special player, not just because of what I do on the court, but because of what I stand for. No pressure can break me. No obstacle can stop me. And no amount of money will ever define me or buy my values. You can’t buy heart. You can’t buy loyalty. You can’t buy what’s inside me. I know who I am. And I know what I came here to do. So I’m staying. To fight. To grow. To prove … that I’m different.”
Mbiya averaged 15.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks while playing in the ASVEL team system 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.
Prior to playing for ASVEL, was part of the NBA Academy Africa and was a 2022 Basketball Without Borders All-Star selection.
