NCAA Basketball: Impact of Kansas landing 5-star center Flory Bidunga

Where Kansas goes after landing Flory Bidunga

The first thought was that Jayhawks were somewhat in the same category as Michigan when it came to the odds of landing Bidunga. Still, you never want to 100% discount what Coach Bill Self can do on the recruiting trail. Although he has struggled to hold onto high school prospects as of late, with both Chris Johnson and Marcus Adams de-committing this offseason from the 2023 class.

That’s partially because of all the veterans the Big 12 program brought in this offseason. The biggest piece was Hunter Dickinson, an All-American caliber big man from Michigan that many would argue was the best pickup from the portal. He’s the definite starting center on the roster but the question is whether or not he’ll be around 1-2 more seasons.

We have one more offseason of looking at the extra “covid year” scholarship players have available. But it’s created some potential to affect recruitments because does a star like Dickinson want to play five years of NCAA Basketball? And yet, the program was able to convince Bidunga that it won’t be an issue in the future.

This is great news for Kansas because after losing both Zuby Ejiofor and Ernest Udeh Jr. this offseason to the transfer portal, there wasn’t a clear future option at the five-spot. Worst-case scenario, the Jayhawks could’ve just gone back to the portal for Dickinson’s replacement but now they’re set for the future.