Kansas forward Paul Mbiya is set to enter the transfer portal, a source tells 247Sports’ Dushawn London. He departs the program after one season in Lawrence. He played in 21 games, averaging 1.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Mbiya came on late in the season and had two good games in the NCAA Tournament. First, he scored eight points and grabbed three rebounds in KU’s in over Cal Baptist. Then, against St. John’s, Mbiya scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench. The two games were Mbiya’s most productive outings of the season.
The big man was in and out of the lineup for most of the season, serving as a reserve center. He played in just seven conference games and he surpassed the 10 minute mark just twice during the regular season.
Prior to arriving in Lawrence last summer, Mbiya played internationally.
Mbiya was a part of the ASVEL organization in France during his final two seasons before coming to the United States. He played mostly for the U21 squad. During his final season, Mbiya averaged 15.3 points on 70.6% shooting from inside the arc, while also grabbing 11.7 rebounds and blocking 3.0 shots per game. He played 32.5 minutes per game over 23 games at the U21 level. He also got some opportunities with the senior team, which played in the LNB Élite and Euro League. Over nine games, he totaled 31 minutes, scoring five points on 2-for-4 shooting with eight rebounds and three blocks.
Prior to playing for ASVEL he was part of the NBA Academy Africa and was a 2022 Basketball Without Borders All-Star Selection. He is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
