Flory Bidunga: Three thoughts on Kansas newest commitment

Bill Self and Kansas got off to a strong start in the 2024 recruiting cycle, pulling off a massive get with Five-Star Plus+ center Flory Bidunga committing to the Jayhawks on Saturday. 

Kansas beat out a final group that also included Duke, Auburn, and Michigan. Throughout the process, Bidunga took official visits to his final four schools, as well as Florida.

Let’s go through what Kansas is getting with its latest commitment.

Who is Flory Bidunga

Flory Bidunga is a highly-explosive 6-foot-9 post player who is originally from the Congo. The rising senior at Kokomo (IN) High won Indiana State Gatorade Player of the Year this season after averaging 20.2 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks while shooting 81 percent from the field. 

On3 first moved Bidunga into the top five in July of 2022. He is now the industry’s No. 5 overall player in the class. He averaged 17.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks with the Indiana Elite program on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this summer.

What does he bring to Kansas?

Bidunga is an explosive player; that is the initial takeaway and the first thing mentioned when talking about the five-star. He plays with excellent timing as a paint protector, getting high above the rim and affecting shots in his area. 

While the explosion is obvious, Bidunga is more than that as a player. He has excellent instincts and spatial awareness. He is a good passer, both with his back to the basket and out of the high and mid-post. Bidunga has a good feel for the defense and gets the ball to where the help is coming from. He is also a natural athlete with a keen ability to change direction and move. 

Offensively, Bidunga plays within himself. He is at his best when playing downhill, toward the rim. He is a vertical lob threat, creating floor spacing because you have to stay attached to him. Bidunga is also developing some off-the-bounce. While he is still straight-line and downhill within three dribbles, he is a threat from the top of the key. 

The post player does have a back-to-the-basket game. He is most comfortable getting over his right shoulder, where he shows touch from multiple angles with his left (dominant) hand. Bidunga is a threat to push the break as well, off the defensive glass. He gets in the open floor under control and gets rid of the ball at the right time, and sprints to the front of the rim. 

Speaking of sprinting, Bidunga changes ends of the floor better than any big in the class. He will get multiple easy looks at the rim simply by beating his man down the floor. 

Bidunga is an intimidating athlete. He rebounds in and out of his area, has excellent instincts when blocking shots, and tries to tear the rim off any chance he gets. While the ceiling is not as high as some others, the floor is very high with Bidunga. And he should be ready to contribute early in his career. 

How does Bidunga fit into the lineup?

Bill Self has had great success with big men, especially over the last few years, at Kansas. At the same time, none of the bigs he has had are like Bidunga, but the track record speaks for itself. 

A look through the current Kansas roster you see that Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams each have eligibility left after this season. There is also Zach Clemence, who is still in school. If all end up returning, there could be some interesting questions involved. 

The rest of the roster is guards and wings. With the likes of Arterio Morris, Dajuan Harris, Johnny Furphy, and Jamari McDowell – freshman Elmarko Jackson is currently being projected as an NBA Draft pick – they have a group of players who can spread the floor, attack from different angles, and run. Bidunga fits right in with that. 

Kansas has a lot of irons in the fire to round out its 2024 class. As the roster sits, and if everyone returns, they will only have nine players next year, so look for Kansas to be active both in the high school class and the transfer portal this upcoming season.