With Flory Bidunga, KU basketball lands highest-ranked commitment since Josh Jackson

By landing a surprise commitment from five-star prospect Flory Bidunga Saturday night, the Kansas Jayhawks added their highest-ranked commitment since five-star forward Josh Jackson in the 2016 class.

In fact, Bidunga is the Jayhawks’ first top-5 commitment since 2016, and he will be the sixth top-5 player landed in the Bill Self era when he signs and makes it to campus ahead of the 2024-25 season.

Bidunga is ranked No. 4 in the recruiting class of 2024 by ESPN.com and No. 5 by both Rivals.com and 247Sports.com.

Jackson was ranked a bit higher — No. 1 by Rivals.com and 247Sports.com in the class of 2016, and No. 2 by ESPN.

Jackson played only one season with the Jayhawks, averaging 16.3 points and 7.4 rebounds a game during the 2016-17 season. The Phoenix Suns chose Jackson as the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Landing five-star prospects hasn’t exactly been uncommon under Self. In fact, he has an illustrious list of five-star recruits in his tenure at KU.

Here’s the full list according to Rivals.com

2003

• David Padgett — No. 7

• J.R. Giddens — No. 19

• Rodrick Stewert — No. 25

2004

• Russell Robinson — No. 27

2005

• Julian Wright — No. 8

• Mario Chalmers — No. 12

• Brandon Rush — No. 13

2006

• Darrell Arthur — No. 16

• Sherron Collins — No. 21

2009

• Xavier Henry — No. 8

• Elijah Johnson — No. 24

2010

• Josh Selby — No. 1

2012

• Perry Ellis — No. 12

2013

• Andrew Wiggins — No. 1

• Wayne Selden — No. 12

• Joel Embiid — No. 25

2014

• Cliff Alexander — No. 4

• Kelly Oubre — No. 6

• Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk — Rivals lists as a five-star prospect; no number-ranking given

2015

• Cheick Diallo — No. 5

• Carlton Bragg — No. 21

2016

• Josh Jackson — No. 1

2017

• Billy Preston — No. 11

• Silvio De Sousa — Rivals lists as a five-star prospect; no number-ranking given

2018

• Quentin Grimes — No. 8

• Devon Dotson — No. 20

2020

• Bryce Thompson — No. 21

2022

• Gradey Dick — No. 28

• M.J. Rice — No. 29

2024

• Flory Bidunga — No. 5