The Kansas player with the biggest decision to make this offseason is sophomore big man Flory Bidunga. The Congo native just wrapped up his second year in Lawrence and will have to determine whether he wants to spend another year at the university.

In 35 games this season, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game en route to an All-Big 12 First Team selection. A breakout star, Bidunga took one of the biggest jumps of any player in the entire country.

Most mock drafts project Bidunga to be selected in the early-to-mid second round or even as early as the late first round, though you’d be hard-pressed to find many predictions like that. Is he a strong enough draft prospect to go pro after two campaigns?

Evaluating Flory Bidunga as an NBA Draft Prospect

Bidunga’s biggest strength is as a rim protector and shot-blocker, evidenced by his conference-leading block number. His freakishly lengthy wingspan allows him to contest nearly any shot at the rim and forces opposing players to reconsider testing their luck against him.

Almost all of Bidunga’s points come within six feet of the basket or the free-throw line, where he has shot a lifetime 61.8% in the NCAA. Since he has such an impressive vertical for his size, he can rise up for several dunks a game and might have thrown down more alley oops than any other player in the country this season.

Despite his long arms, Bidunga is still quite undersized as a true five. He stands at 6-foot-9, which is rather short for someone with the skill set he possesses.

Bidunga is a traditional big who specializes on the defensive end and on the defensive glass. Still, it is difficult to see why an NBA team would want to spend an early draft pick on a center who doesn’t have much of a post game or imposing size.

He feels like someone who can carve out a long career in the league as a backup big man, which is a perfectly fine role to have. For him to become anything more than that, he’ll have to expand his game outside the paint and build more muscle to avoid being bullied by stronger centers.

Could Flory Bidunga Play Collegiately at a Different School?

While Bidunga will certainly be looking to impress NBA Draft scouts with his ability, going pro is not the only option for him. He could return to Kansas for his junior year or even enter the transfer portal to explore other collegiate opportunities.

Last year, Bidunga briefly entered the transfer portal before returning to the university and staying with Kansas. His reasoning was that he had concerns after playing sparingly in his freshman year behind Hunter Dickinson and may have also been seeking a larger NIL payout.

Before the season even ended, there was speculation that Bidunga might be eyeing opportunities from other schools that could offer more in NIL compensation. This has led to widespread uncertainty about his future as a Jayhawk.

Head coach Bill Self has refused to comment on these rumors in the past, but the uncertainty surrounding his own future at the school adds another layer to Bidunga’s situation. He has played for Coach Self in both of his collegiate seasons and may not be willing to stick it out with KU if a new face takes over the program.

We should learn more about these circumstances in the coming weeks, but Bidunga’s decision is one to monitor more closely than anyone else’s on the team. What he decides this offseason could ultimately shape the trajectory of his basketball career.

KSHB 41 reporter La’Nita Brooks covers stories providing solutions and offering discussions on topics of crime and violence. She also covers stories in the Northland. Share your story idea with La’Nita.

—

Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. was killed in an early morning hit-and-run crash while riding his scooter March 21.

Kansas City barbecue pitmaster Arthur Lee Sr. killed in hit-and-run crash

Lee was turning left from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard onto Eastwood Trafficway when a car ran a red light and hit him. A small memorial now grows at the intersection.

“Devastated. Everybody’s hurt, it was really unexpected,” his son Arthur Lee Jr. said. “I loved him to death. My dad was like my best friend.”

Lee was well known in the barbecue community, working as a pitmaster at Gates Bar-B-Q for the past eight years after spending two decades at Arthur Bryant’s Barbeque.

“He loved working at Gates,” Rose Qualls, Lee’s sister-in-law, said. “He was always making us slabs and turkey sandwiches.”

Chris Morrison

The morning of the incident, Lee was preparing to move into a new home with his wife and children, getting ready for a fresh start before a tragic end.

“He was really special, you know. He was one of a kind and everybody that he was around just loved him,” Qualls said. “It’s just a sad situation.”

Lee was 60 years old. His family said while his life was cut short, his flame will burn forever.

“My sister, she is really going through it, we all are,” Qualls said. “And I’m here for her, whatever she needs, when she need a shoulder to cry on, I’m here.”

Courtesy of Arthur Lee Jr.

The family is pleading for answers and for the driver, who fled the scene, to come forward.

“I would pray that they would have some type of compassion, some type of heart, possibly turn themselves in,” Lee Jr. said.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

—