Best NCAA Transfer Portal Fits for Kansas F Flory Bidunga
#Flory Bidunga#NCAA transfer portal#Kansas Jayhawks#St. John's Red Storm#Michigan Wolverines#NBA Draft#Rick Pitino
📌 Key Takeaways
Kansas forward Flory Bidunga entered the NCAA transfer portal seeking a new team for his junior year.
Bidunga is a elite defensive player (Big 12-leading 2.6 blocks/game) testing the NBA Draft while retaining college eligibility.
St. John's is a top contender, needing a center and offering Coach Rick Pitino's development track record.
Defending champion Michigan is another strong fit due to major frontcourt departures and a need for a defensive anchor.
📖 Full Retelling
Flory Bidunga, a standout forward from the University of Kansas, officially entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 7, 2024, seeking a new program for his junior season to enhance his development and NBA Draft prospects. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound sophomore, who led the Big 12 with 2.6 blocks per game, is exploring his options while maintaining his remaining two years of college eligibility and testing the NBA Draft waters, as reported by ESPN.
Bidunga's decision marks a significant shift in the college basketball landscape, as he was a key defensive anchor for the Jayhawks. His versatility, allowing him to guard the perimeter and protect the paint, made him one of the most coveted defensive players in the nation. While his offensive game showed marked improvement during his tenure at Kansas, the portal move suggests a desire for a system where he can be more prominently featured and further refine his skills under a coach known for developing big men.
Analysts have identified several potential fits, with St. John's emerging as a leading contender. The Red Storm, coached by Rick Pitino, have a pressing need at center following the graduation of Zuby Ejiofor, who himself transferred from Kansas in 2023. Pitino's proven track record of developing two-way talent and providing a major platform makes St. John's a logical destination, and reports from The Field of 68 indicate the program is among Bidunga's final choices. Another compelling option is the defending national champion, Michigan Wolverines. With their entire starting frontcourt potentially departing for the NBA, head coach Dusty May has immediate playing time to offer. Bidunga could slot in as a defensive cornerstone, helping Michigan maintain its elite defensive rating, while also forming a potent pick-and-roll partnership with senior point guard Elliot Cadeau.
The third major program in consideration completes a list of suitors that can offer immediate starring roles, championship pedigree, and high-level coaching. Bidunga's portal entry has ignited one of the most high-profile recruitments of the offseason, with his final decision poised to significantly impact the competitive balance of college basketball for the 2024-25 season. His choice will ultimately hinge on which program can best showcase his evolving two-way game to NBA scouts while competing at the highest level.
Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Michigan
# Michigan Wolverines
The **Michigan Wolverines** represent the University of Michigan in intercollegiate athletics. The program consists of 27 varsity sports teams, comprising 13 men’s programs and 14 women’s programs.
### Conference Affiliation and Competition
The Wolverines compete at the **NCA...
The NBA draft is an annual National Basketball Association's (NBA) event, dating back to 1947, in which the teams in the league draft players to join their organizations who are eligible and who declare for the draft. The current NBA consists of 30 teams, and all thirty teams have at least one draft...
Intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Kansas
The Kansas Jayhawks, commonly referred to as simply KU or Kansas, are the athletic teams that represent the University of Kansas. KU is one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference. KU athletic teams have won...
The NCAA transfer portal is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) application, database, and compliance tool that facilitates student athletes' transfers between member institutions. It is intended to bring greater transparency to the transfer process and to enable student athletes to pu...
Flory Bidunga could anchor the next championship defense. After playing two seasons at Kansas, Bidunga entered the transfer portal, and will look for another suitor for his junior season. At 6-foot-9, 220-pounds, Bidunga's a versatile forward who can switch out onto the perimeter and protect the paint. He averaged a Big 12-best 2.6 blocks last season, while improving his offensive game as well. Here are the three best transfer portal fits for Bidunga, who has two years of NCAA eligibility remaining and will at least explore the NBA Draft, per ESPN. St. John's The Red Storm fell to Duke in the Sweet 16, a season-ending loss that was star center Zuby Ejiofor's final college game. With Ejiofor graduating, there's a gaping hole in the center of St. John's team on both sides of the ball. With his endless motor, Bidunga would bring a similar energy to Ejiofor, and could protect the rim at the same – or even better – level. Following in Ejiofor's footsteps would be very fitting as he transferred to St. John's from Kansas back in 2023, before Red Storm head coach Rick Pitino helped develop him into a two-way star. Bidunga has the defensive side of the ball down, and Pitino has proven he can improve a big man's offensive game. Bidunga is one of the top players in the portal and will be looking for a place where he is featured. St. John's offers the platform, coach and has a need at its position. The Red Storm are also reportedly one of Bidunga's final choices, per The Field of 68. Michigan Another one of the programs Bidunga is considering is the defending national champions. The Wolverines will likely lose all three starting frontcourt members — Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg — to the NBA Draft. Bidunga would be one of the replacements for those departures, and help Michigan recreate the No. 1 rated defense in KenPom's rankings. He would also be a great lob partner for point guard Elliot Cadeau, who is entering his senior year. Head coach Dusty May has a h
