One of the top class of 2024 NCAA Basketball prospects made his decision on Saturday night. Flory Bidunga, who was a big riser up the rankings from the past 12 months into a five-star prospect, is currently ranked in the top-5 overall. He’s a 6’8 center known for his elite athleticism and capable shot-blocking ability. His offensive game has plenty of potential as well as he does have some skill.
A month ago, Bidunga had limited his list of options to four in Duke, Auburn, Michigan, and Kansas. For a while. it was starting to look as if the Blue Devils would land yet another five-star player. But when it comes to the recruitment of young prospects, never assume it’s done until an announcement is made.
NEWS: 5⭐️ Flory Bidunga, the top-ranked center in the 2024 class, has announced his commitment to Kansas.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 13, 2023
He chose Bill Self and the Jayhawks over Duke, Auburn, and Michigan.
Story: https://t.co/PpVN8iM66p pic.twitter.com/d4ZGbzvIa2
And this one went in Kansas’s favor, landing its future starting center. He’s yet another big-time commitment coming to the Big 12, which is loading up on talent up and down on the roster. But where do the Jayhawks and the other programs involve go from here? This is a look at the aftermath of Bidunga’s decision.
Where Michigan goes after missing out on Flory Bidunga
Of the four teams, Michigan probably paid the least amount of attention to the Bidunga sweepstakes. Although they made the final cut, the Big Ten program was never truly in the mix. Coach Juwan Howard has proven to be a quality recruiter, as the team is still involved with a number of top-100 prospects, even despite coming off a poor past year where they missed the NCAA Tournament.
Michigan is going to lose a pair of big men (Olivier Nkamhoua and Tray Jackson) after next season but they should still have Tarris Reed, a former top-50 prospect, going forward. He’s stepping in for Hunter Dickinson at the center spot and is the projected start. How the sophomore plays next season will determine whether the Wolverines need a starting or backup big man in the 2024 class.
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.
Where Duke goes after missing out on Flory Bidunga
It’s very rare to see the Blue Devils miss out on a recruit, especially one they were viewed as favorites for a while. What makes this even more of a legit surprise is that center is a position of need for the Blue Devils roster after next season. Ryan Young will be moving on, while Kyle Filipowski is very likely to be going pro.
When Duke missed out on targets such as Kansas transfer Ernest Udeh Jr. this offseason, it felt like only a matter of time before they land one of the top available class of 2024 centers. But now that Bidunga is off the board, look for them to focus fully on Patrick Ngongba, a top-40 prospect that’s been rising fast up the rankings in his own right.
Duke is among the options available for Ngongba, along with Kansas State, UConn, Kansas, and Indiana. He’s a 6’10 big man that has similar traits as Bidunga but doesn’t have the same kind of natural explosiveness. However, the new target likely would be around for 2+ years, allowing the Blue Devils to not instantly have to find his replacement in the 2025 class.
But first, look for Duke to spend the next couple of months landing Cooper Flagg, the superstar five-star prospect that just reclassified to the 2024 class. The blue blood program is viewed as the favorite to land his services but got a couple of other teams involved. As long as they land Flagg, Duke fans will move on from the Bidunga miss.
Where Auburn goes after missing out on Flory Bidunga
Auburn had reportedly garnered a ton of momentum with Bidunga in the 24 hours before a commitment, even getting some late crystal balls. Unfortunately for them, the announcement went to Kansas, leaving them looking for another big in the 2024 class.
In the past few years, the Tigers have enjoyed UNC transfer Walker Kessler and current starting center, Johni Broome to anchor the defenses. After leading the team in both points and rebounds this past season, Broome nearly stayed in the NBA Draft process but opted to return for his 4th year.
Technically, Broome is in the same situation as Hunter Dickinson when it comes to a possible 5th year. However, Broome is much closer to being a draftable NBA prospect so it’s definitely viable that he’s gone after next season no matter what. Now, Auburn has to make sure to cover its basis, besides hoping that backup big man Jaylin Williams also comes back for a 5th year.
Auburn already has a five-star guard commit in the 2024 class in Tahaad Pettiford and probably needs at least 2-3 more additions since everyone but two players are upperclassmen on the roster. Plus, top-30 guard Aden Holloway has had some early draft buzz himself. So don’t expect the Tigers to fall back on the recruiting trail for the next couple of months, though they’ll have to find a different big man to reload the frontcourt with.