Last year, Flory Bidunga entered the transfer portal, and while fans were panicking, many suspected that he would be returning to Lawrence. Bidunga was simply using the portal as leverage for a pay boost. The vibes when the 6’9” big man entered the portal this year, however, were not nearly as optimistic about a return to KU, and rightly so. Bidunga has now officially committed to Louisville:
🚨BREAKING: Flory Bidunga will transfer to Louisville, a source tells @TheAthleticCBB⁰⁰He was the Big 12 DPOY with averages of 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game pic.twitter.com/KioCvC8rEV
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 12, 2026
Bindunga hitting the portal was huge around college basketball as he was tied for 1st in transfer portal rankings with a 98 rating. While seeing the soon-to-be junior not in Crimson and Blue later this calendar year will be strange, one thing makes this situation even harder. Louisville is set to start off its basketball season with an exhibition game against KU in Allen Fieldhouse.
This exhibition game in Lawrence comes after the Jayhawks visited the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville prior to the 2025-2026 season, winning 90-82. The date for this exhibition game in Allen Fieldhouse is not yet set, however we know two things; It will help prepare the new-look Jayhawks for the 2026-2027 season, and KU will see Bidunga suiting up in Cardinal Red as an opponent for that match.
This begs the question… How should Jayhawks fans react when Bidunga is introduced and when he sees the court in front of the fans who have cheered him on relentlessly these last two seasons in Lawrence?
KU fans should boo their lungs out whenever Bidunga touches the ball
It did seem like Bidunga genuinely enjoyed his time at KU, but the young man and his agent had other things in mind the instant the Jayhawks’ season ended. Despite Kansas being a powerhouse with an excess of NIL funds, the writing seemed on the wall that this was more than Kansas was willing to spend on Bidunga.
Unofficial reports indicate that Louisville spent roughly $9 million of its NIL budget on Bidunga and former Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. This is more than the vast majority of Division I teams' total NIL budget last season. Some Kansas fans may argue that we cannot fault Bidunga for leaving for a pay jump, but that does not change the fact that he should be booed by the KU faithful when he returns.
Bidunga has made it clear that he was not concerned with being a Jayhawk legend and keeping all of the connections that Bill Self and the Kansas infrastructure have to offer in the NBA and in leagues around the world. While the decision for him may not have been as black and white as it appears, the outcome remains the same with his departure.
Bidunga now becomes the best player to ever leave Kansas for a different school and has naturally made himself the villain when he returns to Lawrence. Much like when Kevin McCullar Jr. returned to Texas Tech and was booed relentlessly, Bidunga should receive the same treatment whenever he's announced, touches the ball, and leaves the court.
While this upcoming exhibition game will not go in the standings or the statsheet, expect the new-look Jayhawks and the Allen Fieldhouse fans to enter this matchup with Bidunga and Louisville with a ton of energy and noise. Rock Chalk!
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