Kansas Jayhawks fans’ entire universe was put into question when news broke on Saturday afternoon that 5-star freshman center, Flory Bidunga, will be entering the transfer portal. All indications prior to Saturday were that the high-potential youngster would not enter the NBA draft or the transfer portal after making a positive impact with KU this last season.
Throughout the season, he had his ups and downs, but his downs mostly came due to a lack of playing time. When he was on the court, he was showing flashes of former KU freshman, Joel Embiid, swatting shots, rebounding like a maniac, and making offensive plays. It is just a shame that he only averaged 16.3 minutes per game in a crowded KU front court.
The Jayhawks knew since Bidunga committed that he was an athletic freak with an exciting upside, first showcased when he recorded an insane triple-double with blocks back in February 2024. There were even some rumblings that he could be a “one and done” candidate with a strong enough first year in Lawrence, but that did not quite pan out.
He now enters the transfer portal, but with a caveat. In the breaking news, it was also mentioned that “returning to Kansas remains a strong option” for the young Bidunga. While there is a chance he does indeed officially transfer, there are three key reasons as to why he probably sticks around in Lawrence for another year.
Guaranteed starting minutes, NIL money, and the Darryn Peterson experience
The shocking aspect of the Bidunga transfer portal news was the fact that the pathway to him playing starter minutes (30+ per game) was wide open. With Hunter Dickinson’s 30.1 MPG and KJ Adams Jr.’s 30.0 MPG vanishing from the equation with both players graduating, a currently injured Bryson Tiller is now the only other big on the roster after Zach Clemence elected to transfer.
Another reason why the Jayhawks should be able to convince Bidunga to return is their NIL funding. By all accounts, KU Hoops has an excess of money to match any NIL offer that another program might be offering to the 5-star big in the portal. With that being said, Kansas fans would have definitely felt better if this was sorted out prior to him entering the portal in the first place.
The Peterson Effect for Bidunga would be incredibly beneficial
The last reason why it makes far too much sense for Bidunga to stay with Kansas is the incoming phenom, Darryn Peterson. The incoming freshman is rumored to be a top-3 NBA prospect in next year’s draft and he has already stated that he is most looking forward to playing with Flory next season.
Peterson and Bidunga could be an elite guard-big combo and the 6-foot-4 combo guard will without a doubt make his life easier on the offensive end of the floor, throwing him lobs, getting him paint touches, and being a gravitational force that opens up space for Bidunga too. On paper, it is a match made in heaven.
The impact that Peterson will have that will help Bidunga out will be in his NBA scout exposure. With Peterson being a top NBA prospect, many league scouts will be tuning into Jayhawk games to see what all the hype is about. Bidunga will therefore be getting the same exposure from NBA scouts and he will pop off the screen/stand out in live-play for Kansas.
All in all, every KU Hoops fan needs to take a breath. Bidunga entering the portal is obviously not ideal, but it still feels more likely than not that the adored 5-star big will be back! Rock Chalk!