Kansas basketball big man Flory Bidunga has made an incredible jump in production from his first year at KU to his second. Some of that comes from increased minutes due to being the starter rather than someone coming off the bench, but his game has improved.
He has much more polish offensively. His work on the interior is better, though he still needs to get stronger and establish his presence around the basket with more authority at times.
On defense, he is a rim protector in the paint and can disrupt opposing offenses on the perimeter on switches with his length and athleticism. He can't be as aggressive on defense if he's collecting fouls, and that negatively affects the overall defense.
The Kansas basketball team needs Flory Bidunga on the floor
In Kansas' first Big 12 game of the year at UCF, Bidunga earned two first-half fouls and then added two more in the second half. It caused him to have to sit more than is ideal.
The KU offense will sometimes falter when Bidunga is on the bench. Bryson Tiller hasn't developed the physicality yet that is needed to be a force inside. At this point, Tiller is more of a perimeter player, and when he is forced into the interior, he gets pushed around some. Strength and experience will improve over time, but Tiller isn't quite there yet.
Paul Mbiya will one day be a force on the inside, but now his game is raw and undeveloped. With time, that will improve; he's already gotten better since the start of the season. He's just not quite ready for the spotlight yet.
The Big 12 is a long grind, and the Jayhawks will need every weapon. Bidunga has done a much better job avoiding fouls for most of the season; conference play is usually more physical with more fouls called. He's only been called for more than two fouls twice in the last nine games.
Overall, he's been called for four fouls three times, and Kansas lost all three of those games. Obviously, his foul troubles weren't the only reason for the losses, but it is an indication of how important it is for him to be on the floor.
This KU team probably runs through the big man less than any other Bill Self team. The game is evolving, and a dominating big man who strictly posts up in the paint is a thing of the past. Still, without the threat of Bidunga around the basket, the Kansas offense tends to stall when he's not out there.
KU is a much better team with Bidunga on the floor, so hopefully, he can continue to avoid foul trouble in most of the Jayhawks' games. They need him on the court.