The Kansas basketball team hosts the second of its three exhibition games Wednesday night when Flory Bidunga and his new school, Louisville, visit the Phog. It will be interesting to see how the KU faithful will treat someone who was certainly not faithful. After last season, Bidunga left Kansas for Louisville for various reasons.
Kansas won its first exhibition last Friday against Pittsburg State, 80-62. The margin of victory was substantial but not nearly as much as it might have been if head coach Bill Self was intent on getting as many players as possible as many minutes as he could. All 15 players saw action, with 12 getting at least 11 minutes. 11 players scored in the contest.
Melvin Council led the way in minutes with 22, Tre White scored the most points with 16, and Christian Reeves led the team with 10 rebounds.
Over the next two made-for-TV exhibitions against Louisville and Duke, expect Self to continue to play plenty of players and experiment with lineups to see what he has for when the games count. Don't expect so many players to log double-digit minutes as they did against Pittsburg State.
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Kansas vs. Louisville: When and where
The Kansas Jayhawks and the Louisville Cardinals will tip it off on Wednesday, October 21, at 7 pm CDT in the historic Phog Allen Fieldhouse. The crowd will most likely be fired up due to Bidunga's presence on the opposition's roster. Will the crowd cheer the former Jayhawk, or will he be looked upon as a traitor to the program?
Kansas vs. Louisville: How to watch
This exhibition between the Jayhawks and the Cardinals will be aired on ESPNU and can be streamed on FuboTV, as well as on the Disney+ app, if ESPN is part of your subscription package.
In two seasons at Kansas, Bidunga averaged 9.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. There was a significant jump in all of his stats as a sophomore when he moved into the starting lineup. Last year, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks.
Unfortunately, he felt his time at Kansas was wasted, and he received a better NIL deal from the Cardinals. It is doubtful that this will sit well with the Kansas fanbase.
I asked Louisville big man Flory Bidunga, the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year last season, why he would transfer from Kansas to play for coach Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals in the ACC. His response: pic.twitter.com/kk5dhnq77w
— Steve Reed (@SteveReedAP) October 6, 2026
While Bidunga shouldn't be blamed for trying to better his situation, he was in a pretty good situation at Kansas. He was a lock to start, he was in line to be the team leader, and he had a great staff to help him improve his game. In his opinion, he wasn't getting what he needed from the Jayhawks, and that isn't something that happens at KU with star players.
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Last season, Kansas played at Louisville in an exhibition game and pulled out a 90-82 win in a highly competitive and entertaining game. Look for the same Wednesday. While Pittsburg State was a game to get the players exposure to a rocking Allen Fieldhouse against a school that wouldn't seriously threaten the Jayhawks. That will not be the case against the Cardinals. Both teams will be playing to win.
Don't be surprised if the crowd is vocal with Bidunga. It probably won't be a friendly barrage. Bidunga is most likely expecting this, but how he reacts will be telling.
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