On a team filled with experience, Kansas freshman Flory Bidunga has emerged as the missing piece

After a disappointing exit in the second round of the NCAA tournament last year, head coach Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks sought to improve the team’s roster, with an added emphasis on depth, which had been an issue at times in 2023.

As a result, the Jayhawks hit the transfer portal and hit it hard, landing Alabama guard Rylen Griffen, South Dakota State guard Zeke Mayo, Wisconsin guard AJ Storr and Northern Illinois guard David Coit to complement returning starters Hunter Dickinson, DaJuan Harris, and KJ Adams.

The goal? Create a strong rotation that was filled with both top-end talent and elite-level depth to become the top team in college basketball.

And it was a good strategy. Griffen was an elite scorer for a strong Alabama team last year, shooting 39.2 percent from deep. He brought good wing size at 6’6”, 190 pounds to complement some of the team’s smaller guards.

Mayo, Storr and Coit each averaged at least 16.8 points at their previous destinations, showing a knack for putting the ball in the basket, while all having differing skill sets to some degree.

However, one piece was missing from the equation: a backup center for Dickinson.

Insert in five-star freshman Flory Bidunga, the top-ranked center in the 2024 class who was highly sought after by multiple blue-blood schools before picking Kansas as his next destination.

As a freshman, Bidunga’s role wasn’t expected to be a major one, as he was going to be playing behind the strong top eight that Kansas looked to obtain. But, through his first four games with the Jayhawks, it’s clear that he’ll be a significant factor for Kansas when spelling Dickinson for 10-15 minutes a night as a pure energy guy off the bench.

In just 13.5 minutes a contest, Bidunga has averaged 9.0 points and 5.3 rebounds, shooting 80 percent from the field. He’s also found a way to be a factor on the defensive end, recording 1.3 blocks and 0.5 steals in those minutes as well. For reference, his per-40-minute numbers would be 27 points, 17 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals. Talk about activity.

While it’s been a small sample size, Bidunga’s quick ascension into a quality player has allowed head coach Bill Self to trust him in high-leverage minutes. In a major game against the UNC Tar Heels, Dickinson was on the bench more than expected in the second half with foul trouble, putting the freshmen into a close game against a top team in the country.

Bidunga rewarded Self with eight points and eight rebounds in just 11 minutes, while fouling only once and getting a block.

That trust was developed during the offseason, where Bidunga was a big riser during training camp, as his athleticism and physical skills were constantly on display.

He’s gotten better everyday,” Self said last month. “There’s things you just can’t teach. That motor, quickness off his feet, that second jump... He’s a terrific quick-twitch athlete.”

Kansas has a legitimate threat to win the National Championship this year after their disappointing finish a season ago in the second round. And this time, it’s because of their elite depth, which Bidunga has played a crucial role in, behind a group of experienced starters.