Louisville fans are finally learning what Kansas always knew about Flory Bidunga

The Kansas Jayhawks knew they were going to lose Darryn Peterson to the NBA Draft. Not many No. 1 high school prospects stay at college for more than one season, as they are often tipped to be one of the highest picks in next year’s Draft.

But when sophomore forward Flory Bidunga announced his intention to both enter the draft and leave KU, that was a sudden pang to Kansas fans, as Bidunga had just completed an All-Big 12 season and had firmly solidified himself as one of the top defenders in the nation.

All of which are true, but as last season wore on, fans of the Jayhawks became quickly aware of what made Bidunga’s defense so stout. His ability to shuffle his feet across the interior gave several opposition attackers problems, but when teams with bigger frontcourts began to attack Bidunga, his height (or lack thereof) became a focal point for teams to attack. 

NBA Draft Combine reveals Bidunga’s anthro measurements

Below are the Bidunga’s measurements as originally published by John Chepkevich of Draft Express. 

The back-and-forth debate of where Bidunga is best suited

Bidunga’s physical profile puts the former five-star in a weird place. While Bill Self exclusively played Bidunga as a center, his height profiles him as a sturdy power forward. Yet, thanks to his exceptional shot-blocking and wingspan, you could argue the case back to Bidunga belonging as a five.

Last season, Bidunga notched 2.6 blocks per game, good enough for No. 5 in the nation. Bidunga also came up with timely blocks in several late-game situations that show his strength covering the low block. 

Bidunga’s elite footwork works really well with him playing as a power forward, but to the same point, Bidunga’s lack of offensive explosivity last season may come as a red flag. Bidunga averaged 13.3 points on a 64% mark from the field last season, but his shots often looked robotic, relaying work needed on the offensive end

As previously mentioned, when teams learned how to keep Bidunga’s exceptional movement on the ground limited, Kansas began to suffer down low. Think of the Jayhawks’ 84-68 loss at the hands of the Cincinnati Bearcats as the start of that trend. That day, Baba Miller and Moustapha Thiam combined for 46 points. 

However, if you can fill in another sturdy presence down low, to help cover for Bidunga, then the Louisville and/or the NBA will get the best Bidunga.

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