Future KU Jayhawks basketball player starring in soccer for Kokomo (Indiana) High

Future University of Kansas men’s basketball center Flory Bidunga is off to a stellar start his senior year at Kokomo (Indiana) High School.

In soccer that is.

Bidunga, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound native of the Democratic Republic of Congo who verbally committed to play basketball at KU on Aug. 12, has scored six goals and dished two assists in six games for the Kokomo High Wildkats.

The top-five-ranked basketball prospect in the Class of 2024 by Rivals.com and 247sports.com (he’s No. 6 by ESPN.com) is looking like an all-state candidate in soccer as well as hoops.

“He’s a natural. He’s technical. He knows the game well, knows how to read it well,” Kokomo High soccer coach Aaron Blessing told the Kokomo Tribune. His star center forward, who played soccer for many years as a youngster in the Congo, did not play soccer for Kokomo High his first two years at Kokomo High School. He arrived in the U.S. as a sophomore for the 2021-22 school year.

“It’s difficult to defend him, not just because of his size. Some people may say, ‘Oh, he’s 6-9,’ but also, it’s how he plays the ball, how he turns to the ball, how he keeps possession of the ball. He can finish. He can dribble. I wouldn’t say he’s just a player, but for us he’s another player that adds a lot of attacking dimension to us,” Blessing added.

Pedro Velazco of the Kokomo Tribune wrote of Bidunga the soccer player: “He cuts an unmistakable image. Bidunga is a head taller than most teammates and opponents. He frequently posts up defenders looking to receive the ball at the top of Kokomo’s attack and find a way to turn his defender and get in on goal, or dish to teammates as they join the attack. But he’s also adept at getting inside the box and dribbling around a defender or goalie to get into point-blank range. And he can score on headers.”

Bidunga, who played soccer for many years back in his hometown of Kinshasa, Congo before taking up basketball in 2019, told the Tribune that soccer remains his favorite sport.

“It is. I really enjoy playing,” Bidunga said. “Basically this is my last year (of soccer). I just want to have fun. Playing soccer is something I really enjoy doing. I’ll be in good shape when basketball starts. I’m having fun for sure.”

His strong point in soccer?

“I’d say running is what I do best,” Bidunga told Indystar.com. “And scoring the goals.”

Kokomo High has improved with Bidunga on the soccer squad. The Wildcats are 2-5 this season (2-4 in games Bidunga has played) after struggling to a 2-12-1 mark a year ago.

“He came out a little bit this summer and basically joined us in the preseason,” soccer coach Blessing told the Indy Star. “It was like, ‘OK, here’s another player for our program.’ But he’s a dangerous player. It’s amazing to see a player that size do things with the ball that other players do who are half a foot shorter or more. Technically, he’s a sound player. He has good touch on the ball. He’s not just firing hard shots, which he can, but it’s a feel for the game.”

Bidunga, who told the Indy Star he’s yet to receive a soccer scholarship offer, noted that KU basketball coach Bill Self has said he’s planning on attending a Kokomo soccer game sometime this season..

An NBA prospect, Bidunga was named Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 20.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game during the 2022-23 season.

According to stats from Indystar.com, Bidunga as a sophomore averaged 17.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocked shots. He hit 79% of his floor shots for (19-8) Kokomo High.

As a junior, he hit 81% of his shots for a team that went 24-5 and advanced to the Class 4A state title game.

Bidunga has scored 1,059 points, grabbed 759 rebounds, blocked 274 shots and dunked 218 times in 56 career games at Kokomo High. He has had as many as 11 dunks in a game, which according to HickoryHusker.com is a state record. He also has made a state-record 32 consecutive field goals. He is the No. 12 all-time leading scorer at Kokomo High. He has career high school highs of 34 points, 24 rebounds and 12 blocks in a single game. He hit 14 shots in 14 attempts as a junior against Logansport High School.

He chose KU over Auburn, Duke, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and many others in recruiting.

“Five-star Bidunga is an explosive athlete. The lefty moves in a way that other 6-10 players don’t. He rebounds it well, he defends well, and he finishes — with authority — above the rim,” wrote Joe Tipton of On3.com.

Kokomo coach John Peckinpaugh told Zagsblog.com: “He’s really good with his back to the basket in the post. The thing that sets him apart is his motor is unbelievable and he’s a phenomenal athlete. He’s got a good right-handed and left-handed hook and really, really good footwork for someone as new to the game as he is. If he can continue to develop a face-up game and fine-tune his passing game out of the post, he’s got a chance to be really, really special.

“His goal is to be like (fellow Congo native) Jonathan Kuminga and play in the NBA, but he’s just so new to this whole process so he’s trying to take this slow and see what college basketball in the United States is like,” Peckinpaugh added.

Bidunga is excelling in the classroom in Kokomo, which is located 7,000 miles from Congo. According to WTHR-TV he “speaks five languages and takes college-prep classes.”

“On our team he’s just Flory. He’s just one of the guys and there’s not pressure on him to lead us to a state title or anything,” soccer coach Blessing told the Indy Star. “We’re just trying to build ourselves back up to be competitive.”