LAWRENCE
Kansas Jayhawks sophomore center Flory Bidunga had decided to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility.
Bidunga will also enter the transfer portal, a source confirmed to The Star on Thursday evening. ESPN’s Pete Thamel was first to report the news.
Bidunga is the first player from KU’s 2025-26 roster to enter the transfer portal. It’s expected that several more will follow, according to multiple sources.
Bidunga entered the transfer portal last offseason, too. After exploring his options, he returned to KU.
He had a stellar sophomore season for the Jayhawks, earning the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award and first-team All-Big 12 honors. He averaged 13.3 points, nine rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Throughout the season, multiple NBA scouts told The Star of their interest in Bidunga. The evaluators like his defensive abilities and versatility. Most view him as a small-ball center, but there are questions about his offensive game.
A scout from an Eastern Conference NBA team said the right frontcourt partner could help minimize Bidunga’s potential weaknesses at the next level. Currently, most scouts and draft evaluators project Bidunga as an early to middle second-round pick.
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Shreyas Laddha
The Kansas City Star
Shreyas Laddha covers KU hoops and football for The Star. He’s a Georgia native and graduated from the University of Georgia.
