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From Indiana Mr. Basketball to Kansas ‘highest ceiling,’ Flory Bidunga ‘feels city behind me’

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From Indiana Mr. Basketball to Kansas ‘highest ceiling,’ Flory Bidunga ‘feels city behind me’


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  • Flory Bidunga won Indiana Mr. Basketball after only playing organized basketball for three years at Kokomo. He has the “highest ceiling” Kansas has seen under Bill Self, who coached NBA MVPs.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Clad in crimson and blue just fits Kansas basketball freshman Flory Bidunga, much the same way it suited him the previous three years at Kokomo High School.

Bidunga leans back against his locker inside Amica Mutual Pavilion on Wednesday and pulls his headphones off his right ear to respond to a question, just in time to hear the word Kokomo.

Instantly, Bidunga smiles.

It’s roughly an eight-hour drive from Kokomo to Lawrence, Kan. but the support Indiana’s 2024 Mr. Basketball still receives from his Indiana home travels.

“I still get texts. I see people from Kokomo commenting on my posts and showing love,” Bidunga said ahead of Kansas’ first-round NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas at 7:10 p.m. Thursday. “I feel the city behind me.”

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Bidunga feels much the same way about Kansas, which can afford to ease him into a role and let him develop.

Flory Bidunga from Kokomo to Kansas

When Bidunga enrolled at Kokomo as a sophomore from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he’d never played organized basketball.

But he had elite athleticism, the first thing that his Jayhawk teammates noticed when he arrived in Kansas.

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“The athleticism jumps off the charts,” center Hunter Dickinson said. “He can put his head at the rim pretty much whenever he wants. He’s got really good instincts, especially blocking the ball. He’s a really aggressive player and he uses his athleticism to his advantage.”

Bidunga’s athleticism is what endeared Kansas coach Bill Self to him.

Now, it’s about honing that while also making Bidunga a better basketball player.

“He’s got to develop some consistent offensive ways that he can score more points,” Self said. “Right now, he’s a rim runner. Obviously, a lob threat. Scores off of putbacks and in transition. He’s got to get to where he’s a better back-to-the-basket scorer, a better face-up scorer.”

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As a freshman, Bidunga is averaging 5.9 points on 71.1% shooting.

Bidunga chose Kansas because Self has a history of molding big men into NBA draft picks, including 2023 NBA MVP Joel Embiid.

“That will help my future, being coached by coach Self,” Bidunga said. “He has a history with some bigs.”

What is Flory Bidunga’s potential?

Bidunga averages 16.2 minutes per game as a freshman, but his potential has him forecasted as a potential 2025 NBA first-round pick.

“His time in college will probably be shorter than most,” Dickinson said.

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Bidunga has shown glimpses of why he’s a pro prospect.

He had a career-high 19 points against Houston, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Jan. 25. His 52 blocked shots this season are the fourth most by a freshman in Kansas history.

“It’s one thing to have athleticism, but to be able to use it is what makes him special and what makes him really good,” Dickinson said.

Right now, Bidunga’s focus is solely on Kansas and how far he can help the Jayhawks advance in the NCAA Tournament.

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Beyond that, though, the sky is the limit for the former Kokomo Wildkat.

“I think his ceiling is one of the highest that we’ve had at Kansas in the last several years,” Self said.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.



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City Hall intruder fatally shot by employee in Lawrence, Kansas, officials say

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City Hall intruder fatally shot by employee in Lawrence, Kansas, officials say


An intruder was fatally shot by an armed city employee inside Lawrence City Hall in Kansas on Monday morning, officials said.

The 28-year-old man “forced his way into the building then broke through a door” on the fourth floor and into a secured area about 8 a.m., according to a police statement.

This led to an altercation with an armed city employee, Police Chief Rich Lockhart told reporters outside City Hall, about two miles north of the University of Kansas campus.

“During that altercation, the 28-year-old subject was shot and killed by the city employee,” the chief added.

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The intruder wasn’t immediately identified, and it wasn’t clear if he was armed.

Authorities didn’t immediately name the city employee or his job. But police did characterize the civil servant as “trained and authorized to carry a firearm.”

The fourth floor is home to the city manager, city attorney and budget manager.

Officials said they did not know why the man went to the fourth floor, and “it’s not someone that’s known to us,” Lockhart said.

City Hall was closed and should reopen Tuesday. A municipal court in the building won’t open again until Thursday.

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City Manager Craig Owens said he was grateful no city employees were hurt.

“I want to express my gratitude to the Lawrence, Kansas, Police Department work during the disturbing incident,” he said.



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IU football lands Kansas State transfer edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi

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IU football lands Kansas State transfer edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi


Indiana’s portal haul continued to grow Sunday as multiple outlets reported the addition of Kansas State edge rusher Tobi Osunsanmi.

Osunsanmi has played in 36 games over the last four years and has 8.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss.  Most of that production came over the last two seasons.  He has a total of 47 QB pressures during his college career.

In 2025 he played in six games and had 20 tackles, 6.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.  He suffered a season-ending injury in October.

He saw action in all 13 games in 2024 as a reserve defensive end and on special teams, recording 19 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and a forced fumble over 303 defensive snaps and 31 special teams plays.

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In 2023 he saw time in all 13 games as a reserve linebacker, a rush end on passing downs and on special teams.  He was tied for team-high honors with five tackles on kickoff coverage.

He played in four games in 2022 and preserved his redshirt.

The 6-foot-3 and 250-pound Osunsanmi has one year of eligibility remaining.

The Wichita, Kan. product (Wichita East H.S.) was regarded as the 232nd-best overall player in the nation for the Class of 2022 by 247Sports.

Osunsanmi will help fill the void left by outgoing edge rushers Mikail Kamara, Kellan Wyatt and Stephen Daley.

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More transfer portal information:

For complete coverage of IU football recruiting, GO HERE.

The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”

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Kansas football transfer portal tracker: Jan. 4 developments for KU

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Kansas football transfer portal tracker: Jan. 4 developments for KU


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LAWRENCE — The Division I transfer portal window for college football is open from Jan. 2 through Jan. 16, and that means Sunday is another chance for the Kansas football program to shape its roster.

The Jayhawks already gained one public addition earlier this offseason in Grand Valley State transfer Jibriel Conde — whose signing was announced Dec. 4. Conde, who is making the jump up from Division II, is a 247Sports-rated three-star defensive lineman in the portal and is listed by KU as a defensive tackle. On Saturday, a number of current Kansas players — including redshirt freshman quarterback Isaiah Marshall, redshirt sophomore wide receiver Keaton Kubecka and redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Blake Herold — also outlined in social media posts on X that they are locked in with the program for the 2026 season.

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Marshall is set to compete for the starting quarterback job next season. Kubecka has the chance to step up into a more significant role at wide receiver. Herold is in line to be a key part of Kansas’ defensive line.

Those positives, though, don’t outweigh the fact that there has been a sizable group of players who have revealed their intentions to transfer away. Looking overall, when it comes to those whose decisions became public before and after the portal opened, the significant names to know include redshirt senior safety Lyrik Rawls, redshirt junior linebacker Trey Lathan and freshman quarterback David McComb. Lathan led KU in tackles in 2025.

Check in here for more updates during this transfer portal window about a KU team that finished 5-7 during the 2025 season, with transfer ratings as outlined by 247Sports.

Kansas football transfer portal additions

Jibriel Conde (3-star defensive lineman from Grand Valley State) — KU lists him as a defensive tackle

Kansas football transfer portal departures

Joseph Sipp Jr. (linebacker)

Jacoby Davis (cornerback)

Dylan Brooks (defensive end)

Jaidyn Doss (wide receiver)

Carter Lavrusky (offensive lineman)

Trey Lathan (linebacker)

Tyler Mercer (offensive lineman)

Harry Stewart III (running back)

Caleb Redd (3-star edge) — KU lists him as a defensive end

Aundre Gibson (3-star cornerback)

David McComb (3-star quarterback)

Kene Anene (3-star interior offensive lineman) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman

Laquan Robinson (3-star safety)

Jameel Croft Jr. (3-star cornerback)

Logan Brantley (3-star linebacker)

Greydon Grimes (3-star offensive tackle) — KU lists him as an offensive lineman

Jon Jon Kamara (3-star linebacker)

Lyrik Rawls (3-star safety)

Damani Maxson (3-star safety)

Jaden Hamm (tight end)

Bryce Cohoon (wide receiver)

JaCorey Stewart (linebacker)

Johnny Thompson Jr. (running back)

Efren Jasso (punter)

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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