Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - PAUL MBIYA IS GONNA BE A JAYHAWK: Kansas Adds Center With GIGANTIC WINGSPAN to Back Up Flory Bidunga

Starting point is 00:00:00 Ooh baby, Paul M. Bia will be a Jayhawk. He committed to KU the International Former NC State Commit from the Republic of Congo, been playing in France. He's got like seven foot eight wingspan. Freaky long arms coming off the bench for KU behind Florida. Oh, Bill Self got to be happy with that center rotation now. You are locked on Jayhawks, your daily podcast on the Kansas Jayhawks, part of the locked on podcast network, your team every day. What is going on Derek Johnson here at D Johnson radio on Twitter and this is locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for making it your first listen every day. Thank you to the everydayers catching each and every episode of the show wherever you get your podcast and or on our YouTube page

Starting point is 00:00:49 please subscribe there they're trying to get up to 4k here and We're gonna be breaking down Paul and Bia on today's episode of the show who is a very long Lengthy center who's gonna be coming in caves been needed a up big man. They got it right here with Paul and be we're gonna be breaking down his game what he brings to the table for K you possible fit possible role on this Jayhawk team first today's episode of the show is brought to you by game time download the game time app creating account and use code locked on college for $20 off your first purchase with game

Starting point is 00:01:23 time. So Paul and Bia is officially a Kansas Jayhawk. I guess we wait to see the jersey as we talked about with Cole Rosario, but this becomes a nice little you know finishing edition so to speak for Bill Self, especially after the Rosario edition. But Paul and Bea, the basically rub the easiest way to say this is this dude is about as as lengthy about as big as you could want from the center position. So he's originally from the Republic of Congo, which I believe that's where Flora Badunga is from as well. So I don't know if there's some sort of tie. I don't know if they I mean, countries are big. So it's like, I'm sure there's a chance they might not have known each other. But it is cool, at the very least that like, you know, they can have some shared experiences of that. And I've no in long, no idea how long he lived there necessarily insane with Flory. But again, just kind of cool in being able to do that. So he is been playing in the under 21 year old French league. It's basically like the French Youth League would be the way of putting it. He is now committed

Starting point is 00:02:32 to Kansas. He was actually previously committed to NC State earlier this offseason, there's a port that Kansas is interested organ NC State, and he ends up picking NC State. But he ends up winding up later signing his national letter of intent and then asking out of it recently. And NC state allowed him to get out of it. Kind of unclear what happened there. Was it because NC state was recruiting other big man, which they did and got other signees and other transfers? Was it because they wanted to dock some of his money and give that to the other transfers? Was it because he

Starting point is 00:03:03 wanted more money and maybe got some offers to pull back into the portal? I don't know. We might never know. But regardless, how you got here, it is good news for Kansas that he becomes a Jayhawk there. And again, I mean, you think about I mentioned Flory, but like the, the almost like African pipeline that KU has established and bringing on centers. Now, a lot of these guys, you know, might come over from Africa and spend a year to prep basketball in the United States.

Starting point is 00:03:28 But still, like you think of Joel Embiid from Cameroon, Shek Diallo was originally from Mali, Yudoke Azabuke was from Nigeria. Obviously, like I said, with Flory, I think being from the Republic of Congo. Now Embiid is as well. And I don't know, it's just kind of cool that that has been a thing. And I had a friend of mine,

Starting point is 00:03:48 Adam, like bring up like, you know, it felt like with Jim Calhoun at Yukon, like, they did so well at finding centers from Africa. And then like Bill Self kind of took the torch and carried with it. And now has found some really good players coming over from there. So it's just with it. And now has found some really good players coming over from there. So it's just really cool. And I don't know, I do, that would be curious to know like,

Starting point is 00:04:09 how much did the Joel Embiid stuff, how much does that help them in recruiting some of these players, right? Is that still something that is having a lasting impact to that position in that area? But in BS specifically, he is a 20 year old. He won't turn 21 until April 11th of 2026. So he'll be playing the entire season upcoming as 20 years old.

Starting point is 00:04:30 And I believe how it works with the eligibility for the NCAA, they usually start your clock. So like once you turn 18, but if you're coming internationally, I think just in general, they do this. They give you like a one year gap year. So I think this applies for like BYU players, for instance, who take a mission overseas. And so what ends up happening is if that 19 year old years gap year, your 20 year old year, I think Mbeya would by that nature be listed as a sophomore,

Starting point is 00:05:00 I believe, but does the fact that he's turning 21 in the school year, even though it would be after the basketball season, does that mean he'd be listed as a junior? I don't know. I do believe though, either way, I feel like he'll have multiple years of eligibility for Kansas, whether it's two or three. And that does become important because as much as this was about finding depth and a backup big man for Flory this year and more big bodies for this season, which they desperately needed. It also can serve in a little bit of way of a possible future center

Starting point is 00:05:30 because if Flory Badunga has an awesome season, goes pro after the year, well, you're gonna need more bigs, you're gonna need to discover who your starting big man is for the following season. And if Paul M. Bia fills in admirably in the role behind him, you're just gonna be like, oh cool,

Starting point is 00:05:43 he can be our starting center the next year. And if he struggles a little bit, maybe you're looking into the transfer portal or back behind him, you're just gonna be like, Oh, cool. He can be our starting center the next year. And if he struggles a little bit, maybe you're looking into the transfer portal or back overseas or, you know, with high school recruits. But as far as in B, it goes, he didn't start playing organized basketball until he was like 17 years old, as the story goes, which that is pretty amazing. That, like, it's interesting, because you talk about him being 20 years old.

Starting point is 00:06:06 And so you would think in theory, OK, he's a couple years older than like a high school freshman coming in. So you would think he's going to be a more seasoned, more experienced prospect. He is more of a raw prospect and you'd be like, well, that doesn't make sense. He is the same age as would again be some other college sophomores or juniors, but he hasn't been playing organized basketball that long. And now

Starting point is 00:06:27 when they say that term organized basketball, he could be playing pickup basketball, he could be playing your some level of basketball, it's just not in the team setting with like a very big structure. But that does show you that he also has a very high ceiling. If he's only been playing organized basketball for three seasons, like there's a lot he can be taught and if he can retain that information and learn, that means the sky's the limit for a dude who is,

Starting point is 00:06:50 again, as lengthy as any center in the country. So he starts out playing in the NBA African League as a 17 year old. And then after briefly going there, he goes to basically it's Asvel basket is the organization, which I believe is like owned or run by Tony Parker, the former San Antonio Spurs player who's from France. And so Asvel basket is the senior team, their junior team, so to speak, their under 21 team is a spores Asvel. And

Starting point is 00:07:24 actually look this up. So the word spores means hope, I believe is the translation from French to English. So it's the hopeful league, right? It's the kids were under 21 who are hoping to become something. And so he's basically playing in the junior league for that professional team is how it's been working. Now he does have some appearances with the senior team, they're just a little bit more limited in what he did. So he's played two seasons, his 18 year old season

Starting point is 00:07:49 and then his 19 year old season there. And the 19 year old season was the one where he got at least a handful of games at the professional league in France, which the French league itself is probably equivalent to like a high major. The junior French league, that probably would be more equivalent

Starting point is 00:08:04 to like a mid-major conference. league that probably would be more equivalent to like a mid-major conference. So he's put up really good numbers there. But like when you compared him to some of the other centers, KU might've been targeting internationally, it was important to know that those other centers are doing it in the senior league, which was better. And also like, when you look at Conan and Demir, they were doing it in Turkey, which is probably a better league than what France is in general, but also this coming from the youth league. Still, if you're going to be playing in the youth league in France, you might as well dominate it, and Mbija did just that. He averaged a double-double per game on very high efficiency and a bunch of blocks per game.

Starting point is 00:08:36 I mean, this is a center with very insanely long arms. Depending where you look, you're looking at somebody who I've seen one place that lists him at a seven foot four wingspan that plays. I've seen another place that lists him at like a seven foot six and change wingspans, almost seven, seven. And then there was another place that lists him at a seven foot eight wingspan. Regardless where he is in that range,

Starting point is 00:08:58 this is a Kansas team that has a lot of insanely long guys, guys with very big wingspans, with plus wingspans from the guard positions all the way down to the bigs. And among all those guys, Paul Mbia on a team with a lot of long arms is the longest of the arms. And you see that in the way he plays, he blocks a lot of shots, he dunks everything in sight. He's a strong rebounder really goes hard on the offensive glass. And I think you look at the the kind of physical tools that are

Starting point is 00:09:27 there. Again, knowing a guy that has only played organized basketball for like three years, while that does mean the learning curve is going to be a little bit more. It also means the potential is there for this kid to become something really special. And the beauty of it is that he's going to come into a backup role to Florida Boon, where he doesn't have to know everything right away. In a backup center role, it might just be enough for him to play the simple game of grab ball,

Starting point is 00:09:55 block ball, dunk ball, like those three things that can be enough to get you 10 to 15 really good minutes of backup center ball per game. And honestly, for for as much a raw prospect, so to speak, as he is, he does have a little bit more post-up game on some of the film and the highlights than you might think for somebody who kind of has that billing. So really love this addition for KU to kind of round out the roster here. Let's continue on with more of the scouting report and then how exactly he does fit with KU. with more of the scouting report and then how exactly he does fit with KU.

Starting point is 00:10:27 Our episode of the show today is brought to you by Game Time. Have you ever decided at the last minute to head to a ball game with friends or family? Maybe it's game day and you suddenly realize you wanna be in the stands. That's exactly where Game Time comes in. It's the easiest way to grab last minute tickets without the stress.

Starting point is 00:10:41 With the money you save on tickets, you can splurge on food, drinks, merch, or even invite a bigger group to come with you. Game Time makes it possible. Game Time makes buying tickets fast and simple prices on the app actually drop the closer you get to first pitch and they've got incredible last minute deals, clear sea views and the lowest price guaranteed that takes the worry out of buying tickets. Obviously, we know or at least I hope you know that Kansas City Royals do dollar dogs on Tuesday night. So like here we can look ahead to Cole Reagan's bobblehead night on July 8, versus the Pittsburgh Pirates. And I would

Starting point is 00:11:13 imagine that would also be a dollar hotdog night for the Royals as well. Let's see how close can we get to home plate? Who knows maybe Paul skeins will be pitching that'd be pretty cool. I don't know if you will be or not. but regardless you can get diamond club seats section 129 row h Pretty darn good seats 122 dollars and that includes flea fees because I have the include fees thing Toggled over on game time which you can do so you're not surprised to check out take the guesswork out of buying tickets game time Download the game time app create an account and use code locked on college for 20 off your first purchase terms app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONCOLLEDGE for $20 off of first purchase. Terms apply, again, create an account, and read code LOCKEDONCOLLEDGE for $20 off. Download the Game Time app today, last minute tickets, lowest price, guaranteed with Game

Starting point is 00:11:56 Time. Thanks for joining us on this episode of Locked on Jayhawks, and don't forget to make a lock on college football or lock on collegeball your second lesson every day. Okay, so getting back to the measurements for Paul M. Bia. So at the BWB Global Measurements, he measured in with a height of 6'9 3.25, which I, it wasn't clear if that was with or without shoes. I'm assuming it's without because at the Young Star Game LNB Combine, he measured at 6' or without shoes. I'm assuming it's without because at the young star game LNB combine he measured at six foot nine without shoes. So you're probably looking with shoes.

Starting point is 00:12:31 He's somewhere around six ten, six eleven. Then you look at, I've also seen the weight kind of fluctuate as well. I think around 240 pounds is kind of the estimation there. The wingspan is the big one. Again, I've seen one place that I'm at 7'4". The BWB had him at 7'6 and three quarters, and then the LMB had him at 7'8". Now, if the 7'8 one is correct, that would put him as the sixth longest wingspan among NBA players.

Starting point is 00:12:58 And he would be a plus 11, so his wingspan compared to his height, which would be the biggest in NBA history That part of it kind of makes me think that maybe that one's not the one that's the most accurate But let's say it is the seven foot six and three quarters. Let's say it is the seven foot four That's still insanely long, right? I also don't know with the 26 and a half max vertical If that's accurate or not in terms of being a max vertical was that just a standing vertical or max I guess would kind of make sense for a big Center for that to be the case

Starting point is 00:13:31 but point is again, he's a very very long player was very long arms and that does translate to how he plays in his basketball game as far as how he's produced. I mentioned starting his career at NBA Academy Africa five games. They're not really much to go off of so we're not going to 17 years old. 2023 to 2024 his 18 year old season that's with the Spurs-Astville again the junior team in the under 21 league in France LNB of Spurs plays 15 games 19 minutes per game

Starting point is 00:13:59 11 points 9 rebounds 1.3 blocks 1.1 steals all very good numbers and did it on 68% from the floor, only 50% from the free throw line, so probably not the best free throw shooter, but that was his 18 year old seasons. Now he progresses up to his 19 year old season in which between the combination of playing for the junior team, which he played 23 games

Starting point is 00:14:23 with 20 starts for a Spores Asphal again the Under 21 league team for France And then he also plays 11 games with the senior team six in the Euro League four in their actual league and then one in Whatever FBC is that I think though the French basketball cup. So like how they do it in Europe is they have they have regular season they have like a tournament like the in-season tournament like they do in the NBA and they also have like Euro League where you're playing teams from other countries it's it's kind of complicated but if you know European soccer it's kind of similar to that so anyway 34 games combined between the two I guess

Starting point is 00:14:57 I should divvy this out and how we did at each if we're just looking at the under 21 league, 32 and a half minutes per game, 15.3 points per game, 11.7 rebounds per game, four of those on the offensive glass per game. That is one worry I do have about in Bia and Flory is the foul stuff like there's going to be times where I'm Bia gets a couple over the back calls, but he's a really good offensive rebounder and then three blocks and a steal. So it's not just blocking shots. He also has active hands and is getting steals, but very good shop blocker, which makes sense given the length. Now he did average three turnovers per game compared to 0.7 assists. So you know, the passing game and can you swarm him and force turnovers? Maybe that's something also three fouls per game. Like those are the things that I'm looking at is like, okay, if you end up playing a

Starting point is 00:15:43 little bit less minutes, like maybe that's something that that kind of turns into that. As far as with the the senior team, again, you're talking about 11 games played, but it's hard to take too much away from some of those games, because you're playing four minutes per game in the Euro League. And if I total it all up, like, if I just total up the league games with the Euro League, not counting the Euro Cup game, or the French Cup, whatever game that he played in, it's like,

Starting point is 00:16:15 okay, it's 31 minutes played with five points and eight rebounds and three blocks. Like, there's just really not much we can take away from that. But we can take away that he dominated at the youth level, which again, might be the equivalent to more of a mid-major league. But if you said Kansas was adding a mid-major center who averaged 15 and 11 in the Sun Belt

Starting point is 00:16:36 with three blocks per game on like 70% from the floor, even if it was the Sun Belt, you'd be like, oh, that guy's probably pretty good. And then you found out that he has like, oh, a seven foot somewhere between seven, four and seven foot, somewhere between seven, four and seven, nine or seven, four and seven, eight wingspan. You'd be like, oh, okay, well that should play up at a higher level.

Starting point is 00:16:52 So I don't really have concerns that it shouldn't play up at a higher level. It's more of a question of just how raw is he? Because there are times when you watch some of the film with him, some of the games, some of the tape, and it looks like he's a little more lost out there. You can tell he's a little bit more of a raw basketball player.

Starting point is 00:17:08 There are times when he's just kind of floating, I guess might be the way of putting it, or he's still kind of learning the game, but that is exciting because it's like you can get him a lot better based on some of the stuff. So I think some of the top strengths he would add, or does add, I guess, to the team is, I mean, he continues the theme of having a team who has very long arms, who's very lengthy, who has very good wingspans. He continues to make this a really

Starting point is 00:17:33 good shot blocking team. If they do run any two big lineups out there, Flory and him, I mean, good luck to anybody trying to score inside at that point in time. He adds even more rebounding to the team. He adds more depth to big man spot. He adds more efficiency on the offensive end. I do think he adds a little bit of post-up scoring. There is a little bit there. I'm not saying he's even David McCormick as a post-up score,

Starting point is 00:17:53 but I think there's a chance he might even have more post-up scoring than Flory. We'll see what, you know, Flory progresses and works on from last year. So that's kind of an unknown, but at least there is a little bit something there. And so you look at having another rim running threat and a lob threat,

Starting point is 00:18:11 another dunking threat, who's going to get a ton of dunks from their center position. And that'll be fun to work with pick and rolls with Darren Peterson and Marco Jackson and Melvin Council and these guards who can really get downhill with their athleticism and their prowess.

Starting point is 00:18:23 That makes them a good fit. Now, what he's not going to add to the team, he's not a shooter, he's not somebody who's going to stretch the floor. Even though there is a little bit of the post game there, it's not necessarily somebody that I'm expecting is going to get like five post-up touches per game. I don't really expect that. And again, he is a little bit raw to where there could be foul troubles at times. There could be times where maybe he makes a mental lapse, not knowing

Starting point is 00:18:46 where to be because he is more raw basketball player. But overall, this is an awesome get for KU and not a lot of other teams like Florida last year, you think of having Chinulu off the bench, who had like seven, nine wingspan. And he was just a guy who was kind of a brute force guy that could throw in for some fouls, would be a good rim protector and rebound the basketball. I think there's no reason and be a couldn't at least be that of what chin you lose was for Florida last year except I think you know maybe maybe the floors a little bit higher because you know what chin you lose did but maybe you could argue the ceiling is even higher for him be a based on the

Starting point is 00:19:16 offensive end compared to what chin you lose did at Florida and that was again good enough to be a key role player on a national championship team so how exactly does he fit in? What's the projected role ceiling floor? All that stuff next. This is locked on Jayhawks. Thanks for joining us on the show. Don't forget to check out our Cole Rosario commitment video as well here on YouTube or anywhere you get your podcasts with locked on Jayhawks. So Paul and Bia is the latest Jayhawk. Let's talk floor ceiling possible role for him. So, let's start with the ceiling. Let's start with the fun stuff here.

Starting point is 00:19:47 The ceiling is Poland Bia comes in for Kansas and all that length, all that shot block and rebounding, it translates right away. And he's able to get on the floor and you're playing floory 25 minutes a night, you're giving him 15 minutes per night, right? And he is one of the best backup centers in the entire country, right?

Starting point is 00:20:05 That is kind of the ceiling outcome here. I don't know, is there a ceiling outcome where does Kansas play five, 10 minutes of too big basketball? Maybe it's Tiller at the four and Mbea at the five because Tiller still has like a seven, two wingspan and that could be a lot of fun. Do you see five minutes of Flory and Mbea playing together?

Starting point is 00:20:21 Do you see five minutes of Tiller and Mbea playing together where there's like 10 minutes too big basketball for Kansas, maybe he is playing 15 to 20 minutes per game. The floor outcome of the worst case scenario is that he just is a little bit too raw and maybe does struggle at times with overfouling or not knowing where his assignment is. And then at that point, maybe it's closer to being a eight to 10. I mean, there's just not a lot of bigs on this roster. So it's hard to be 8 to 10. I mean, there's just not a lot of bigs on this roster.

Starting point is 00:20:45 So it's hard to be like, oh, he just would be a spot player, probably 8 to 10 minutes per game at that point. And then maybe floor is giving you 25 to 28 minutes per game. And then you fill out whatever two, four or five minutes you have left with tiller at the five, right? Like that's kind of the floor outcome that I see here. I think the medium outcome is he's probably playing like 12 minutes per game. He's giving you some good rebounding and block numbers. There's some moments and some games where he's really good. And then there's some other games where it's like, oh, he picked up 2000 minutes and he only ended up playing four minutes that game.

Starting point is 00:21:17 That's kind of thing what I think that the median outcome is there regardless. But I do expect at least a little bit of too big basketball for Bill Self in Kansas. I just don't think it's going to be very much because you don't have the big depth. Now, maybe if you add another big man with one final scholarship, then it does maybe become more of a lineup that you could see for 10, 15, 20 minutes from game to game for Bill Self. Maybe it's matchup dependent or depending on who you're kind of going against. So it's harder to do with three guys. And I guess if you're viewing, you know,

Starting point is 00:21:47 the four position, something that Calderon can play and White can play, then you can disperse that a little bit more. But if we're talking about between Mbea, Tiller and Flory, how often will those three, will two of them play together? My guess right now, pretty probably five to eight minutes. Right?

Starting point is 00:22:04 And maybe that day, it kind of depends like how the other guys around like his cool Rosario part of the rotation and they see shooting well is Delmarco Jackson shooting well as Darren Peterson shooting well is Jayden Dawson a big part of the rotation where you can get away with the spacing from the guards despite playing two bigs but like I think the Houston matchup where they play two bigs or at least they did this past season I don't know how the lineup will look this year. Would it make sense against a team like Houston who just wants to be rugged to be like, okay, we'll match your ruggedness. We're gonna throw out Mbaya and

Starting point is 00:22:33 Floyd Budunga. And you know, we're gonna have all sorts of block shots and length and physicality on the inside to kind of match what you're doing. Like does it make sense in a matchup like that versus then when you play a team who has more of a small ball for stretching it out. Okay, Trey whites going to play more than minutes of the four. It at least gives you just more options for what you're going to do gives you more insurance should for Budunga get in foul trouble, get injured, or if Flory just doesn't take a step

Starting point is 00:22:57 from last season and you do end up needing to play for 20 minutes per game and be a 15 and tiller a handful of minutes at the five. I don't think that's gonna happen. I do think flurry is going to take a next step up. But it just gives you more insurance kind of all the way around. And it's a very high potential player that has the opportunity to not just make that impact this year and have a role this year, but also to maybe be a future NBA player with length like that or a future stud down the road for

Starting point is 00:23:22 Kansas for somebody that should have multiple years of eligibility for the Jayhawks. That'll do it for this episode of Locked on Jayhawks. You can find our show anywhere you get your podcast including on our YouTube page where you can like and subscribe to the show. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel if you haven't already trying to get up to 4K here soon. We'll see you next time for another edition of Locked on Jayhawks.

Locked On Jayhawks - Daily Podcast On Kansas Jayhawks Football & Basketball - PAUL MBIYA IS GONNA BE A JAYHAWK: Kansas Adds Center With GIGANTIC WINGSPAN to Back Up Flory Bidunga

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.