The Kansas Jayhawks have had several needle-movers through the course of the season. Sometimes it comes in the form of potential No. 1 NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson, other times in the form of transfer guards Tre White or Melvin Council Jr. However, the most consistent staple of Kansas’ season has been sophomore forward Flory Bidunga.
Bidunga was recently named as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, with inclusions in the All-Big 12 First Team, and the All-Defensive team for the Big 12.
To put it simply, Bidunga is a do-it-all defender. Even at his 6-foot-10 height, he can guard each position on the court with ease, and never looks stranded when he has to leave the paint. To cap his defensive prowess off, Bidunga ranks third in the nation with a monster 2.72 blocks per game.
To help, Bidunga rakes in an additional 13.8 points per game, with 9.1 rebounds and a fantastic 65.1% field goal rate.
Bidunga’s one pitfall may prove vital in Kansas’ postseason run
If there is one mark you can put against Bidunga, it is his foul trouble. Look at the Jayhawks’ 78-73 quarterfinal win over the No. 6 TCU Horned Frogs. Bidunga had to play the final 6:29 with four fouls, sitting just one away from being expelled.
In the second half, freshman Paul Mbiya had to substitute into the game in order to relieve the pressure on Bidunga.
This has been a common theme throughout points of the season as Bidunga has faced six games through the course of the season where he finished with four fouls, while none have resulted in Bidunga’s exit. There have been too many instances where Bidunga has had to have his momentum disrupted, thanks to foul trouble.
For context, KU is 2-4 in games where Bidunga has notched four fouls.
This typically wouldn’t be a big problem for a team with multiple players the stature of Bidunga; however, Kansas is not one of those teams, so when Bidunga is forced to the bench, the Jayhawks quickly resort to a smaller lineup, often mismatching defensive positions, allowing for easy matchups for other teams to prey on.
TCU took advantage of a Bidunga-less lineup
“He's +31 in a close game. And, when he came out, we just weren't as good, bottom line, so, to me, you know, he's the best defender in the league. To me, he's the best defender in the country,” quoted head coach Bill Self following Kansas’ win.
“And I don't know that he really had a chance to play to that tonight.”
At halftime of the Jayhawks’ win, Kansas has a +15 plus-minus with Bidunga playing, but a -19 with him missing. A stat that will cause Self headaches.
Bidunga will be a necessity if KU wants to push through to the Big 12 Championship. For now, the No. 2 Houston Cougars stand in the way. Tip for the semifinal is set for 8:30 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.
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