LAWRENCE
Kansas freshman Bryson Tiller could potentially play basketball for KU’s biggest rival next season.
That’s right — Missouri.
Tiller, a starting forward on last season’s KU team, entered the transfer portal Monday. His top schools are Missouri, Michigan, Arizona and Miami, according to The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman.
Two sources close to Tiller did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tiller’s departure is a notable one for Kansas. He started 31 games last season. He averaged 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds.
However, his up-and-down year ended on a sour note. The Atlanta native was benched in the second half of a Big 12 Tournament semifinal game against Houston. He later told The Star he was “shocked” by how it went down.
Tiller was held to three or fewer points five times in KU’s last seven games, including not scoring in KU’s season-ending loss to St. John’s in the NCAA Tournament.
That said, Tiller showed promise at different points throughout the year. Multiple NBA scouts told The Star that they view the big man as a long-term NBA prospect. Kansas coach Bill Self echoed those comments, even alluding to Tiller’s NBA potential in the recent Paramount+ “Made for March” docuseries.
Sources have told The Star that KU’s staff believed in Tiller’s potential but wanted to see more physicality and aggression. Specifically, coaches wanted to see Tiller play to his 6-foot-11 frame.
Tiller has told The Star his goal this offseason is to improve in those areas.
This story was originally published April 8, 2026 at 6:41 PM.
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Shreyas Laddha
The Kansas City Star
Shreyas Laddha covers KU hoops and football for The Star. He’s a Georgia native and graduated from the University of Georgia.
