Former KU forward Bidunga exits NBA draft pool, will play for Louisville: report
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Flory Bidunga removed his name from the 2026 NBA Draft to play at Louisville in 2026-27.
- Bidunga entered the transfer portal April 2, 2026, and committed to Louisville 10 days.
- Bidunga finalized an NIL deal with Louisville and is projected to anchor their frontcourt.
Former Kansas Jayhawks basketball forward Flory Bidunga has removed his name from the NBA Draft pool, and thus will play college basketball at Louisville during the 2026-27 season, On3.com has reported.
Bidunga declared for the 2026 NBA Draft on April 2 while maintaining his college eligibility and also placing his name in the NCAA transfer portal. He committed to play basketball in 2026-27 at Louisville 10 days later.
The first-team all-Big 12 selection had until Wednesday to exit the draft pool if he wished to in fact play his junior season at Louisville.
Monday’s report means Bidunga would play for Louisville in an exhibition game in Allen Fieldhouse on a yet-to-be-determined date in October. A source close to KU’s program recently told The Star the game remains on the schedule and will complete a home-and-home set of exhibitions with the Cardinals.
KU beat Louisville 90-82 last Oct 24. Bidunga — who at the NBA Combine was measured at 6 feet, 7 3/4 inches tall without shoes, and had a 7-3 1/4 wingspan and 8-10 1/2 standing reach — scored 14 points with six rebounds in that game against the Cardinals.
A native of Democratic Republic of Congo, Bidunga was asked about his decision to stay in college or head to the NBA at the recent pre-draft NBA Combine in Chicago.
“Not really,” he said, asked by NBA reporter Noah Weber if he’s finalized his plans, “because I feel like it is a day-to-day thing. Obviously I am here. It is a great honor to be here. I just want to hear from them (NBA teams). I would say if I have a good seed (draft standing), the NBA is my dream, so I’ll probably be staying in for sure.”
Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo!Sports recently predicted Bidunga would be the No. 3 pick of the second round, going No. 33 overall to Brooklyn. But that’s if he had stayed in the draft.
“He is a 6-8 vertical weapon with bouncy legs, soft hands, and the defensive instincts to anchor the paint. He also has some switchability, which could make him highly valuable on defense. But he lacks the size of a true center, and he lacks any perimeter skill on offense,” O’Connor wrote, adding that Bidunga has “untapped potential.”
According to reporters Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer, Bidunga recently signed his paperwork, finalizing his NIL deal with Louisville.
“Bidunga is one of the best defensive players in the country and would immediately anchor the Cardinals’ frontcourt, alongside Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras,” wrote ESPN.com’s Jeff Borzello.
Bidunga seemed enthused about Louisville’s 2026-27 roster in a combine interview with CBSports.com. The Cardinals are bringing in transfers Bidunga, Jackson Shelstad (Oregon), Alvaro Folgueiras (Iowa) and Karter Knox (Arkansas), as well as freshman Obinna Ekezie Jr., to go with returnee Adrian Wooley.
“They’re putting together a superteam,” Bidunga told CBS’ Isaac Trotter.
