Flory Bidunga is the most highly touted signee in the Class of 2024 Kansas basketball recruiting class. The 6-foot-8 athletic freak had a terrific year at Kokomo High School and was recently granted a prestigious honor for the second year in a row.
Bidunga was named Indiana's Gatorade Basketball Player of the Year over the weekend, the same award he took home last year as a junior. The honor, “which celebrates the nation’s top high school athletes for excellence on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” is one of the highest achievements a high school player can receive.
This season, the big man averaged 19.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 4.4 blocks on 81.4% shooting for the Wildkats. He guided his team to a 25-4 record and had his high school career ended in a loss in the Class 4A regional.
His senior year was filled with exciting plays and performances, such as when he posted a triple-double with blocks last month. He was named a McDonald's All-American, and he will play in the All-American game next week on Apr. 2.
An athletic center who specializes in blocking shots and scoring inside, Bidunga is a 5-star recruit the No. 10 overall player in 247 Sports' Composite rankings. He surprisingly committed to Kansas in August over schools like Auburn and Duke and is one of the highest-rated prospects to ever enter Lawrence.
He is one of three signees in KU's 2024 class, along with point guard Labaron Philon and guard/forward Rakease Passmore. Those three players currently rank as the No. 9 class in the country, though that number could skyrocket if Indiana decommit Liam McNeeley decides to join the Jayhawks next year.
Next, Bidunga will set his sights on the Indiana Mr. Basketball award. He likely would have taken it home last year, but it is only handed out to seniors, so this is the last chance he will have to win it.