An inside look at why KU Jayhawks center Paul Mbiya trained in France this year
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Mbiya spent an extended period in France during the offseason due to visa issues.
- Mbiya gained about 2 kg of muscle, lost fat and now weighs 240 pounds.
- He is competing with Christian Reeves for Kansas’ 2026-27 starting center spot.
It’s hard to fathom the transformation of Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball player Paul Mbiya.
The KU basketball social media account recently released a practice clip: The 7-foot center sets a quick screen, then rolls to the basket and finishes an alley-oop pass from freshman teammate Tyran Stokes.
At first glance the play is nothing extraordinary. But upon closer inspection Mbiya appears significantly leaner and quicker. He also looks to have lost a significant amount of weight.
That actually isn’t the case. Mbiya, who spent an extended period in France due to visa issues this offseason, simply made the most of his time there.
Last season, Mbiya weighed 245 pounds. Now he’s a 240-pound sophomore.
“In terms of body, he gained 2kg (about 4.4 pounds) of muscle,” Mbiya’s manager Yacine Fylla told The Star via text message. “He lost a lot of fat.”
Hailing originally from Kinshasa, Congo, Mbiya averaged 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in 21 games for KU during the 2025-26 season. His best moments came in the NCAA Tournament, where he flashed his potential against Cal Baptist and St. John’s.
Mbiya almost left KU in April, but after some back-and-forth a deal was reached for him to return. He’s had a busy offseason ever since — including overseas.
In Lawrence he’s competing with College of Charleston transfer Christian Reeves to be the Jayhawks’ starting center in 2026-27. Reeves underwent labrum surgery in April and won’t play full-contact in practice until likely October, per KU coach Bill Self.
“I think Paul, if he gets the opportunity, which he will, I think he can do some things that we haven’t seen from a production standpoint,” Self said in June.
Mbiya has been preparing for the opportunity — even while he was in France.
According to Fylla, Mbiya did three to four workouts per day, with just one off-day. He is focused on sharpening a few aspects of his game: footwork and coordination, his handle and passes, his midrange jumper, his post moves, his short roll and his overall strength and explosiveness.
The attention to sharpening those skills could be paying off. Fylla told The Star that the KU coaching staff likes Mbiya’s new build.
Fylla recalled KU assistant coach Kurtis Townsend saying: “‘You did a good job. I can tell he worked.’”
Fylla is betting Mbiya will showcase the “real Paul” this coming season. He even has a nickname for Mbiya, one that Mbiya endorses:
“Mobutu: the dictator of the paint.”
“(I hope) he shows people his skills,” Fylla said, “(like) passing, shooting and face the basket (post moves), like he once did in the Cal Baptist game.”
This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 10:02 AM.
