A Kansas Transfer Just Did the Unthinkable

Tiller – averaging 7.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game as a freshman – severed his ties to Bill Self and Kansas alongside six other Jayhawks – including star forward and Louisville commit Flory Bidunga – who either entered or declared for the transfer portal.

In his first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, Tiller fetched 10 rebounds and six points in a first-round 68-60 win over Cal Baptist; Tiller grabbed five rebounds, an assist and zero points in the team’s season-ending 67-65 heartbreaker loss to St. John’s in the second round.

Turns out, Tiller wasn’t happy with the operation at Kansas. At least, Tiller wasn’t convinced, through the speculation over Bill Self’s retirement considerations, or other on-court issues lingering from the Big 12 Tournament, that Lawrence simply wasn’t where he’d succeed.

Kansas is set to meet Missouri in Kansas City, Missouri, for the final game of their renewed Border War series. Tiller didn’t shy away from the topic when Goodman warned him of a few Kansas boos.

“I’m extremely ready, I’m going to embrace it,” Tiller said.

Tiller entered the portal as a four-star power forward, as evaluated by 247Sports, and, with three years of eligibility remaining, is a high-ceiling grab for any college squad.

Kansas won Tiller’s recruiting battle out of high school, but Gates seemingly held onto the 6-foot-11, 240-pound playmaker’s phone number for just such an occasion.

“Just the plan that he had for me, (Gates) was real honest with me, my dad and my family,” Tiller said. “He’s been recruiting me since I was a freshman in high school, so we definitely had a good relationship and I trust in him and the University of Missouri to do what needs to be done to win, to get to the next level for me.”

Upon arriving at Kansas in January of last year, Tiller underwent ankle surgery in time for his redshirt freshman season to correct an injury that’d followed him out of prep ball.

“It was two years since I was really able to go full speed and play a basketball game,” Tiller said. “So, I feel like with this upcoming offseason, the work I’m going to put in is definitely going to pay off.”

Tiller, who said he was sold on being involved in “all assets and all facets of the court,” went as far as likening himself to outgoing Missouri guard Mark Mitchell, who led the Tigers with 18.3 points per game this season. Another offseason down, and Tiller could be at another level when he suits up as a Tiger.

“I feel like I can do a lot of the things (Mitchell) does and more,” Tiller said. “I just want to be able to express myself freely on the court, play with a lot of energy (and) a lot of passion, and I feel like Missouri is the place to do so.”

A Self recruit leaving Kansas for Missouri, of all schools, is already a tough pill to swallow, and considering Tiller has already been exposed to the rivalry itself, this decision comes as all the more heartbreaking when you think about the long line of heated matchups over the years.

Wherever you stand, it’s as simple as this: Tiller, in one season, got his name out there as a three-level scorer with tremendous upside. Now, Missouri will learn whether it’s there.