Out of all the centers in the 2026 NBA Draft, Kansas Jayhawk Flory Bidunga is one of the most athletic of the bunch. As the running mate to Darryn Peterson, Bidunga will have the spotlight shining on him. Considering that, it is time to discover what Bidunga brings to the table as a prospect. Let’s dive into a prospect overview of the 2026 NBA Draft prospect, Flory Bidunga.
2026 NBA Draft Prospect Overview: Kansas Big Flory Bidunga
Areas Of Excellence
Athleticism To The Max
Unquestionably, Bidunga is one of the most athletic centers in this year’s draft. The six-foot-nine big man possesses an excellent combination of quickness, athleticism, and physicality that allows him to be impactful on both ends of the floor. He utilizes his vertical athleticism and length well to both alter shots and be a real lob target for his teammates. He has the quickness to move well on the floor and be a major threat in transition.
Strong Defense And Rebounding
The area where Bidunga shines the most is on the defensive end. Specifically, Bidunga is a proficient rim protector and rebounder who uses his physical gifts to be the defensive anchor for his team. The combination of his length and athleticism grants him the tools he needs to be an excellent shot blocker, as he is averaging 2.6 blocks per game this season. Not only that, but Bidunga has good feel and timing as a rim protector, making him more effective as a shot blocker. Plus, he has shown improvement defending in the post against other bigs, using his physicality against them. Additionally, Bidunga has a good nose for getting rebounds, effectively obtaining them on both ends.
Powerful Finishing And Intriguing Offensive Potential
While Bidunga isn’t the most versatile offensively, he has impressed with what he has shown. In particular, Bidunga is a skilled rim runner and lob threat, throwing down powerful dunks. He uses his physicality and quickness well when going to the basket, either outmuscling or being quicker than his opponents. Also, he knows how to operate in the pick-and-roll as the screener, finding ways to free himself up to receive a pass. Speaking of passing, Bidunga has demonstrated increased passing flashes this season. Specifically, he has been more attentive in finding open teammates when he is in the middle of the paint.
Nov 26, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) dunks the ball in the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2025 Players Era Festival third place game at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Areas Of Concern
Limited Offensively
One clear limitation that Bidunga has as a player is his lack of offensive versatility. As of now, Bidunga is firmly a lob threat and rim runner. Not only that, but Bidunga isn’t a shooter in any capacity. While he has shown flashes of nice footwork and post moves in the paint, Bidunga is still certainly reliant on others to get him good shots. To be fair, Bidunga has done significantly better than expected, considering Peterson’s absence due to injury. Nevertheless, Bidunga isn’t the type of prospect to generate offense for himself or extend his range beyond the paint.
Foul Troubles
Another issue for Bidunga is his fouls. Specifically, his aggression on both ends of the floor can lead to Bidunga playing reduced minutes due to foul trouble. While his energy and aggression are appreciated, he must get better at reducing his unnecessary fouls. On defense in particular, Bidunga can be baited by pump fakes into committing silly fouls. Not only that, but his overall defensive aggression as a shot blocker can get him in trouble.
Turnover Struggles
Additionally, one thing that Bidunga has struggled with is turning the ball over. Specifically, Bidunga has seen a major increase in his turnovers, jumping from 0.8 last season to 2.1 this season. One aspect of this is that Bidunga’s usage has gone up. When he has the ball, he can be susceptible to losing the rock due to his poor handle. Also, Bidunga, to his credit, has been more proactive in being a passer. However, he can throw bad passes, which leads to steals for the other team or the ball going out of bounds. While Bidunga’s passing is encouraging to see, he must continue to develop his overall passing ability to avoid turnovers.
The Last Word
Overall, Flory Bidunga is an incredibly athletic big man who utilizes his physical gifts to be a force on both ends for Kansas. Defensively, Bidunga weaponizes his athleticism to be a strong rim protector and impactful rebounder. Offensively, he is immensely talented as a lob target, rim runner, and transition threat. Undoubtedly, Bidunga has the skills and talent to be an impactful center at the next level. Next to Peterson, he can find himself rising up the draft boards if he continues the strong play he has demonstrated.