Christian Reeves Nearing Return as Kansas Basketball Season Approaches
Kansas center Christian Reeves is getting closer to returning to full basketball activities as the Jayhawks prepare for the 2026-27 season.
Reeves has been recovering from offseason labrum surgery after playing through a shoulder injury during his lone season at Charleston. The 7-foot-2 center underwent the procedure May 7, and Kansas coach Bill Self provided an encouraging update on Reeves’ progress Wednesday.
According to Self, Reeves is now roughly 90% recovered from the procedure. While he has not yet been cleared for full-contact work, the Kansas head coach believes the veteran center is getting close to being able to return to normal basketball activities.
“He’s good but he’s not 100%,” Self said. “He’s not cleared yet (for full contact). I think he’s close, but he can’t get in a tussle or dive on the floor or anything like that.”
The update is significant for Kansas because Reeves is expected to play an important role in the Jayhawks’ frontcourt this season. Kansas lost Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller from last season’s team and will need new players to help fill those minutes.
Reeves arrived at Kansas after a productive season at Charleston, where he averaged 11.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game while playing 21.4 minutes per contest. He previously spent time at both Duke and Clemson before transferring to Charleston.
His experience and size could give Self another option at center once Reeves is fully healthy.
For now, Kansas is being cautious with his recovery. Reeves can participate in some basketball-related activities, but Self does not want him involved in situations that could put unnecessary stress on his recovering shoulder.
That timeline appears to be moving in the right direction. Self said Reeves should be back to full speed by the middle of October as long as there are no setbacks.
“But he’ll be full speed unless we have a setback — full speed by mid-October for sure, well before the start of the season,” Self said.
That timeline would give Reeves an opportunity to get back into full practices before Kansas opens its regular season. It also provides the Jayhawks with some much-needed optimism surrounding their frontcourt depth.
Until then, Paul Mbiya and the rest of Kansas’ frontcourt will continue preparing for the season while Reeves finishes his recovery.
With the regular season approaching, Reeves’ return to full-contact practice will be an important development for Self and the Jayhawks. If his recovery continues without another setback, Kansas should have its experienced 7-foot-2 center available well before the start of the season.
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Jimmy Adeniran is a contributor to JayhawksROUNDTABLE. He can be reached at [email protected]
