2024 5* C Flory Bidunga (Kansas)

[ellitor 33,082]

https://www.on3.com/db/flory-bidunga-153411/

AU appears to be in a good spot. Cincy & Florida also stand out.

 

[ellitor 33,082]

 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

2 hours ago, ellitor said:

https://www.on3.com/db/flory-bidunga-153411/

AU appears to be in a good spot. Cincy & Florida also stand out.

 

Is he trying to reclassify to 2023

[ellitor 33,082]

49 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Is he trying to reclassify to 2023

@NWALA Tiger I posted in a couple threads including the 2023 recruiting thread that it's unlikely to happen now per Hoke.

[gravejd 3,270]

Well that would be a hell of a center class if we get this guy and the Peyton kid

[DAG 33,973]

Nice young man. Playing off pure athleticism right now. Still extremely raw, which is fine because imagine when he grows in that skill set. The competition level is questionable. 

[AUGoo 2,659]

One year of Bball.

How would he do against another center of equal proportions?

He looked like a man among children in that first video.

Does his inexperience make him a project?

[ellitor 33,082]

2 hours ago, AUGoo said:

One year of Bball.

How would he do against another center of equal proportions?

He looked like a man among children in that first video.

Does his inexperience make him a project?

@AUGoo The video was done last year. He has been through a summer of competitive AAU ball since then and is the #1 C in the class. That should tell you something.

[bigbird 60,481]

This one's been brewing a while

[AUGoo 2,659]

57 minutes ago, ellitor said:

@AUGoo The video was done last year. He has been through a summer of competitive AAU ball since then and is the #1 C in the class. That should tell you something.

I hope you are correct. 

Traore came in with much the same resume. 

Makes me a little gun shy.

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,662]

21 hours ago, AUGoo said:

I hope you are correct. 

Traore came in with much the same resume. 

Makes me a little gun shy.

These type of guys have been more successful as of late, but you do have to teach them up yknow. There’s gonna be an adjustment period. Traore had the deer in the headlights look, but it was really bad in regards to nurturing the guy or trying to play to any possible strengths. 
 

His reps in non conf play weren’t as consistent as you’d like, we didn’t have a point guard to set him up for anything, we had him virtually exclusively as a 4 (when his tape and frame woulda made me think 5), and when he was on the floor, it was usually with other centers who made him stand out on the perimeter so not to clog the tape. 
 

I didn’t like Traore’s feel, but I have to put some amount of blame on us too. That being said, it’s not an exact science to how much a kid that just started playing the sport on any level needs to learn to “get it”. Maybe they give him more reps and Yohan still looks lost. Who knows? 

Edited March 23, 2023 by Dual-Threat Rigby

[AuburnNTexas 7,140]

when you are looking at players who are new to the game it is important to see what if any sport they played growing up. Bidunga was a soccer player.  Soccer and basketball have a lot in common with footwork.  Both in the way you play defense and and in the way you play offense.  Remember Hakeem "The Dream" Olujuwan he made the transition from soccer to basketball. He always told people soccer helped tremendously. "The Dream" had one of the best drop steps that ever played the game it was quick sudden and he was gone. It also helped that he could hit a short fall away jump shot which put defender in a bind. Over commit to stop the one shot then he did the other.

[autan 737]

With Traore being rated a 5*, we all were expecting more, maybe not Jabari more, but certainly more than what we saw. Bruce was limited to 12 schollies but we were playing with just 9 if you take away Stretch, Westry, and Traore. With the injuries and misses we were lucky to make the tourney thanks  in part to some outstanding coaching.

[ellitor 33,082]

 

[ellitor 33,082]

[bigbird 60,481]

36 minutes ago, ellitor said:

 

 

[toddc 13,194]

 

[toddc 13,194]

 

[ellitor 33,082]

5-star center Flory Bidunga talks recruitment

Article written by: Joe Tipton

Flory Bidunga at Adidas 3SSB / Photo by Joe Tipton

Five-star center Flory Bidunga is the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound prospect at Kokomo (Ind.) High updated his recruitment over the weekend at Adidas 3SSB Chapter 2. Bidunga has been on several college visits, including unofficial trips to Purdue, Michigan, Cincinnati, Butler, Indiana, and Michigan State. He’s also been on official visits to Auburn, Florida, and has one scheduled with Michigan at the end of the month.

Bidunga played in front of several college coaches over the weekend. Auburn’s Bruce Pearl, as well as assistants from Cincinnati, Michigan, Michigan State, Indiana, Florida, and others were spotted scouting him. He discussed what it was like playing with in front of so many high-level coaches.

“That’s pretty good because it shows they have interest in you to come watch you play,” he says. “You just have to keep developing, playing hard, so it’s pretty exciting.”

While time didn’t allow for Bidunga to discuss each of the schools in his recruitment, he was able to discuss several.

Bidunga discusses his college recruitment

Up until just over a month ago, many teams were still in season, playing games. Combine that with the transfer portal cycle this offseason, and many high school recruits get pushed to the backburner. But not Bidunga. He’s maintained being a priority recruit for many of the top programs nationally.

When asked about the latest in his recruitment, he says “it’s just kind of the same. The same schools that were recruiting me before. I have Kentucky, Michigan, Florida, Auburn, all those schools.”

I would also like to make it clear that Bidunga’s recruitment is still open, and he has not narrowed his list to any specific list of schools. He discussed a handful of the visits he’s been on.

Michigan: “It was pretty good. I like the coach, the coaching staff. I like the players. It was pretty good.”

Michigan State: “I like Tom Izzo. He’s a very good coach. One of the big coaches. It was pretty good too.”

Auburn: “I liked the facilities, the coach, the coaching staff, and the players. They were all great when I went there. That was exciting.”

Cincinnati: “The coach has done a good job recruiting me, as the other colleges have been doing too.”

Bidunga on receiving an offer from Kentucky

The Kentucky coaching staff extended a scholarship offer to Bidunga in October of last year. While he hasn’t been to Lexington to visit yet, I’ve been told from a source that a visit is in currently in the works. Bidunga discussed what it was like to receive an offer from UK.

“It was big time,” he says. “It was really exciting to get an offer from them. That’s great for me.”

Timeline for a decision, what he’s looking for in a program

While Bidunga doesn’t have an exact timetable for a making a decision, he says he would like to make one before his senior season. He says he’s looking for “a good place. Some place that feels like home.”

Scouting Report

“Flory Bidunga is a physical specimen. At 6-foot-10, he has long arms, broad shoulders, and a lot of burst. He is an excellent shot-blocker, both on the ball and from the weak side. He has natural timing and can get up to the square quickly, even through contact. Bidunga runs the floor quickly and purposefully. He can push the break with his handle but does not get too deep and out of control. The jump shot extends out to about 10 feet, so we would like to see him work on stretching that out some. But he has touch as a roll man to finish with floaters and short corner jumpers. He needs to improve his free throws as he gets to the line a lot. Offensively, Bidunga has a good IQ; he is smart in dribble hand-offs and can post wide and deep on the block. If help comes, he is able to find the open man and deliver a good pass. He is a good offensive rebounder. Bidunga is left-hand reliant, but his IQ and explosion allow him to get away with that for now. Physically, he is like a college upperclassman and is already one of the premier explosive athletes in high school basketball.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw

[CameronCrazy 1,059]

For once I’d like to beat Kentucky hard-to-head for a top 5 recruit that Calapari really wants. 

[ellitor 33,082]

FWIW BMatt just posted it's not looking good with AU for Flory now.

[War to the Eagle 362]

I take it that has to do w/ UK.  Cripes!

[ellitor 33,082]

21 minutes ago, War to the Eagle said:

I take it that has to do w/ DUKE. 

@War to the Eagle FIFY

[War to the Eagle 362]

19 minutes ago, ellitor said:

@War to the Eagle FIFY

Aha...darn it, Scheyer.  Hey, that dude is a phenomenal recruiter.  I mean, he is elite.  It will be interesting to see how they function post-K, but they will not be short on talent.

[KansasTiger 3,248]

17 hours ago, ellitor said:

@War to the Eagle FIFY

Glad we lost Marshall to end up not getting Bidunga. Reminds me of Desi Sills and Trey Alexander.

Edited June 18, 2023 by KansasTiger