Former Kansas Center Flory Bidunga Explains Why He Transferred From Jayhawks

The Kansas basketball roster underwent a massive transformation this offseason. After losing superstar freshman Darryn Peterson to the NBA Draft, Bill Self also had to compensate for the loss of one of the nation’s best big men.

Flory Bidunga entered the transfer portal shortly after the 2025-26 campaign ended, and he’d later commit to the Louisville Cardinals. KU had a difficult time making up for his departure in the summer, bringing in former Charleston big man Christian Reeves and relying on a jump from Paul Mbiya.

As the new season approaches, Bidunga was among Louisville’s representatives at this year’s ACC Basketball Tipoff, the conference’s version of a media day. He spoke to reporters and gave them several in-depth answers.

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However, things got a bit awkward when Steve Reed of the Associated Press asked him why he decided to leave KU. There are definitely some interesting things to take away from his response.

“Kansas is a great school, great coaches,” Bidunga said. “Shoutout Coach Self, one of the best ones ever. It wasn’t bad blood or anything, I still love him, I still care about him. I want them to be great and to be successful. I don’t know, I feel like I just didn’t want to waste a year.”

At first glance, Bidunga was clearly flustered by the question and didn’t want to misspeak, so his words should be taken with a grain of salt. Regardless, the phrase “waste a year” certainly feels somewhat backhanded.

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Flory Bidunga on Why He Left Kansas: ‘Didn’t Want to Waste a Year’

The Congo native opened his collegiate career in a reserve role behind Hunter Dickinson as a freshman. He entered the portal in 2025 but would soon return to the university with a new NIL contract.

In the end, it turned out to be a positive decision for both parties. Bidunga took home the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award as a sophomore, averaging 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds, and a conference-best 2.6 blocks per night.

However, when he entered the transfer portal a…

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Publish date : 2026-10-07 11:00:00

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