IU basketball transfer portal names to know: Kansas center Flory Bidunga

Indiana fans are keeping an eye on a familiar name in the transfer portal.

Kansas freshman center Flory Bidunga has entered the portal with a “do not contact” tag.

Bidunga was a long-time recruiting target of Indiana when he moved to Kokomo, Ind. and played there for his last two years of high school. Bidunga did not start playing basketball until he was 14 but quickly became an elite prospect due to his length, athleticism and motor.

Bidunga has a connection to the family of possible new IU assistant coach Drew Adams. Adams’ father Mark Adams coached Bidunga for AAU basketball in the Indiana Elite program. Drew Adams has not been announced as an IU assistant under new coach Darian DeVries, but the two were seen talking and sitting next to each other at the Indiana high school state finals this weekend. The Daily Hoosier understands DeVries attempted to hire Adams last year at West Virginia.

As a freshman at Kansas, Bidunga averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks over 16.2 minutes per game. He shot 69.8% from the field. On a per-40 minute basis, Bidunga averaged 14.4 points, 13.1 rebounds and 5.6 blocks per game for the Jayhawks.

Several statistics illustrate Bidunga’s potential to be a dominant college basketball player. He ranked nationally in the top-100 in several categories, including block rate (10.8%, No. 15), 2-point field goal percentage (69.8, No. 26), offensive rebounding percentage (12.9%, No. 77), and defensive rebounding percentage (23%, No. 85).

The 6-foot-9 and 220-pound Bidunga has three years of eligibility remaining.

Ahead of his freshman season in Lawrence, Bidunga was a McDonald’s All-American who was a two-time Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year his junior and senior seasons in high school. The five-star big man is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.