5-star big Flory Bidunga commits to Kansas

One of the best high school basketball prospects in the class of 2024 is now off the board. Flory Bidunga is headed to the Big 12.

The five-star center committed to Kansas on Saturday picking the Jayhawks over Auburn, Duke, and Michigan. Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan State, and Purdue were also involved in this recruitment.

Flory Bidunga is the No. 5 overall player in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. He joins Ace Bailey (Rutgers) and Ian Jackson (North Carolina) as the only top-10 prospects committed in the class. The Congo native stars at Kokomo (Ind.) High. The Indiana State Gatorade Player of the Year has all the physical tools to be a dominant force in college basketball and a one-and-done player in Lawrence.

Self is now on a roll recruiting traditional bigs. In the same offseason, the two-time national champion has landed Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal for 2023-24 and has a succession plan in 2024-25 with Flory Bidunga.

Kentucky currently has no commits in the fold in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The Wildcats are scheduled to host top-50 prospect Billy Richmond for an official visit in September. Meanwhile, UK is considered a major player for Karter Knox. The younger brother of former Kentucky forward Kevin Knox just completed a transfer to Overtime Elite. The professional prep league has become a pipeline of sorts for the Wildcats since they began offering a NIL-backed pathway that allows prospective players to retain their college eligibility.

The summer is winding down, but high school recruiting is beginning to heat up for college basketball prospects. Flory Bidunga is off the board, but numerous quality recruits are still available.

Will Kentucky land its first commitment soon?