Entering the season, there were questions about how much court time Flory Bidunga would see for the Kansas Jayhawks. This is because the KU frontcourt was featuring two seniors in Hunter Dickinson and KJ Adams. The 5-star freshman was going to have to earn his minutes, but thus far Bidunga has been a great change of pace and is even showing flashes of 2014 freshman Joel Embiid.
While Bidunga doesn’t have the sheer size that Embiid had (who stands 7-foot tall) when he was a freshman in Lawrence over a decade ago, Flory’s wingspan is comparable to Embiid’s. Bidunga and his reported 7-foot-4 wingspan is just an inch shorter than Embiid’s and he has certainly made use of that in the NCAA this season, swatting shots and catching lobs.
His motor and rebounding has also been a huge plus for Kansas, and his fit with Dickinson in a two-big lineup has looked better than expected. Bidunga was a key piece in the Jayhawks win against UCF on Tuesday night, as he pulled down 11 rebounds, recorded 10 points (4/5 FGs, 2/2 FTs), dished out 2 assists, grabbed 2 steals, and swatted 5 shots! KU ultimately won 91-87.
Bill Self has a lineup decision to make between Bidunga and KJ Adams Jr.
Bidunga was not just amazing in the UCF game, but has been on a tear the last 5 games. Much like Embiid from a decade ago, his biggest impact has come on the defensive end, recording stocks (steals + blocks) galore. In these most recent games he has recorded 5+ stocks in 3/5 games and has blocked at least one shot in 7 of his last 8 games.
The one game in which he did not record a block was the disappointing loss against Houston, however in that game, he made up for the lack of blocks with efficient scoring and paint dominance, shooting 7/10 from the field and recording a team-high 19 points. This mark is higher than any Embiid scoring performance when he was with the Jayhawks.
The 6-foot-9 big man has also shown a great shooting touch from the foul line recently, making 11 of his last 13 free throw attempts, something he had struggled with earlier in the season. He certainly has not gotten to the line as frequently as Embiid did, but he is making his attempts count when he does find himself at the charity stripe.
KJ Adams Jr. did return in Kansas’ win over UCF, but came off of the bench due to still dealing with his shoulder injury. Bidunga ended the game with 29 minutes played and Adams Jr. played 26 of his own, making for an interesting split. Bill Self will have to decide if tinkering with the starting lineup yet again is the right move or if he wants to ride the hot hand in Bidunga.
Kansas faces off with Baylor on Saturday, Feb. 1, and all eyes will be on which players get the nod for the starting five against the Bears.