NCAA Basketball: Analyzing key contenders for 5-star C Flory Bidunga

Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats landed its first commit in the 2024 class recently in forward Tyler McKinley, who is a local top-100 prospect. Bidunga is just about “local” too and is in a “must land” situation, as they’re going to the Big 12 and will need as much talent as possible. They landed both Jamile Reynolds and UVU transfer Aziz Bandaogo they each need a waiver to play as two-time transfers.

They’ve been linked to the five-star big man for a while and have had some crystal balls come their way. But as time goes on and the big schools are in play, could Cincy have missed their chance? This is the biggest recruiting battle to date for Coach Wes Miller and one that could single-handily change the program’s fortunes going forward.

Duke Blue Devils

The Blue Devils almost got its replacement for Dereck Lively this summer in Kansas transfer Ernest Udeh Jr. However, reported admissions issues seem to have prevented that pathway. So that leaves Senior Ryan Young, Christian Reeves, and likely Kyle Filipowski to play the five-spot next season.

Don’t expect Duke to miss out on a big man in the 2024 class. They’ve already landed two class of 2024 commits, including top-10 shooting guard, Isaiah Evans. With Filipowski very likely gone after next season, Bidunga could very well come in and have a massive impact as the next starting big man. And since he reportedly supported the blue blood program growing up, Duke’s late emergence into his recruitment should be viewed as a warning to the other contenders.