Self says Bidunga will return soon, play prominent role when he does

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Flory Bidunga (40) is helped to the bench after sustaining an injury during the first half on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas center Flory Bidunga didn’t put any weight on his leg as he left the floor late in the first half on Tuesday night.

The Congolese freshman’s left foot came down at an odd angle after he jumped to contest a post entry pass from UNC Wilmington’s Josh Corbin to Khamari McGriff. He exited with five minutes left in the first half due to a hurt ankle, went to the locker room and didn’t return to the Jayhawks’ bench until nine minutes into the second half.

Head coach Bill Self, however, assuaged any concerns about Bidunga’s status postgame, suggesting he’d be off the ankle for a couple days but “hopefully be practicing by Friday” — and he could even have returned to play on Tuesday in a particularly competitive set of circumstances.

“I don’t think he should have played,” Self said, “but in a big game where maybe you didn’t have another game coming up immediately after, he could have been back out there, probably.”

In the meantime, KJ Adams and Zach Clemence filled in with periodic, competent minutes in the post, and fifth-year senior Hunter Dickinson ended up playing a team-high 16 minutes in the second half.

“I was a little tired out there,” Dickinson said. “But you know, guys stepped up. Obviously one man goes down, that’s the great thing about having depth, a guy like Zach comes in, gives great minutes. I’m super happy for him, I feel like he really needed that.”

Going forward, if Tuesday’s game and ensuing press conference were any indication, Self wants to get Bidunga on the floor as much as possible given that he’s not in the starting lineup. The coach once again sent out a lineup with the dual post presences of Bidunga and Dickinson, one that had acquitted itself rather well in the Champions Classic in Atlanta a week earlier.

After that game, Self joked that the Jayhawks had only practiced the arrangement for 20 minutes on one day; going back even further, Self had said prior to the season that he didn’t think it was likely at all to have them both on the floor, unless the Jayhawks were to play zone.

Now, he said on Tuesday, “I think we need to play that way.”

Self believes the Jayhawks will likely need to spend five to seven minutes per game in such an alignment.

“I think it just keeps our best players in the game, and Flory’s an athlete that can block and alter,” Self said. “He probably needs to play closer to 20 minutes than he does 12 or 15.”

Through the first four games prior to his injury-altered showing on Tuesday, he was playing 13.5 minutes per game. It’s easy to see why Self would want Bidunga out there even more: The freshman has been clinical around the rim, averaging 8.4 points per game on on 82.6% shooting (mostly dunks) to go with 4.6 rebounds and a block. He’s certainly looked ready to play on both sides of the ball in the earliest days of his college career.

For point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., the two-big lineup presents plenty of potential: “Hunter obviously can play on the perimeter and then you got big Flo in the lane ready for a lob or anything.” And Dickinson certainly won’t complain about the opportunity to play alongside his younger teammate, as he reiterated feelings he had expressed after the Michigan State matchup.

“I love playing with him,” Dickinson said. “He’s so athletic and he makes it really easy for me because he’s usually going to have a 4-man on him, who’s obviously probably smaller and weighs less … and then defensively he’s a big aircraft down there blocking everything.”

The emergence of this new lineup, given the need for greater opportunities for Bidunga, is just one piece of the puzzle as Self attempts to figure out what his rotation will look like later in the season. KU plays Duke next in Las Vegas at 8 p.m. Central Time on Tuesday.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Flory Bidunga (40) pins a shot from UNC Wilmington guard Elijah Jamison (2) to the backboard during the first half on Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024 at Allen Fieldhouse.