Kansas got a first look at its new pieces Wednesday night, but the night belonged to Flory Bidunga’s return to Allen Fieldhouse - and to Louisville.
The No. 11 Cardinals beat No.
17 Kansas 89-83 in exhibition action, with Bidunga back in Lawrence after leaving KU following two seasons and transferring to the ACC school. The 6-foot-9, 235-pound junior forward from the Democratic Republic of the Congo started and played 28 minutes, finishing with five points, three rebounds and one block.
It was a quieter stat line than the spotlight suggested, but Louisville still walked out with the win.
Bidunga’s evening began with a hostile welcome. He was booed during warmups by the KU student section, then again as he ran through the tunnel to the Louisville locker room about eight minutes before tip.
As the jeers grew louder, he raised both hands over his ears. He also drew boos during official introductions, and early in the game the student section chanted “(Expletive) you Flory.”
At the next timeout, an announcement asked fans to stop with the obscene chants. Coach Bill Self, who hugged Bidunga shortly before tip, was not pleased with what he saw from the student section.
Bidunga scored just two points in the first half, adding no rebounds, two turnovers and two fouls in 13 minutes as Kansas led by one at the break. After the final horn, he hugged KU’s Tre White warmly. A few of his Louisville teammates then turned toward the south student section, waved at the students and even blew them a kiss.
Tre White led Kansas with 25 points, while Melvin Council added 20. Freshman standout Tyran Stokes finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes.
Louisville got 23 points from Jackson Shelstad and 16 from Obinna Ekezie. The Cardinals also shot 14 of 30 from 3-point range, while Kansas went 7 of 24.
Bill Self opened with a starting five of White, Stokes, Taylen Kinney, Paul Mbiya and Council Jr. One new face was missing from the rotation: former Purdue big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, who joined the team on Sunday. Self said Tuesday that Kaufman-Renn was not yet in the best shape and likely would not play against Louisville, and his next chance comes Sunday at noon in another home exhibition against Duke.
Kansas also fought through a rough shooting night early. The Jayhawks made just 12 of 33 shots in the first half, good for 36.4 percent, and connected on 4 of 13 from deep.
Two of those threes came from Council Jr. and two from White. Stokes helped keep KU afloat by hitting 7 of 10 free throws in the opening half for nine points.
Before the game, Allen Fieldhouse also made room for a different kind of homecoming. Former KU coach Ted Owens was honored in a pregame reception, part of what amounted to unofficial “Ted Owens week” ahead of his Thursday induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame. Among those around Owens before tip were David Magley, Tad Boyle, Wayne Simien, Jeff Dishman and Mark Ewing.
Owens was later introduced to the crowd after a tribute on the video board at the 7:39 timeout. He also made his way into the KU huddle and spent time with assistant coach Kurtis Townsend and Self before heading back through the northwest tunnel to his seat. The 97-year-old had plenty of company in the building for a night that mixed a rivalry feel, a reunion and a season preview all at once.
Meanwhile, the NCAA filed a motion Wednesday seeking an expedited resolution in its appeal of the preliminary injunction that has allowed White and 98 others who filed suit against the NCAA in Indiana court to remain eligible this season. In its filing, the NCAA said that since December 2024 it “has faced over 260 lawsuits challenging its eligibility rules and is currently defending over 150 active cases nationwide involving over 734 plaintiffs. A speedy resolution on the merits would quell the spread of similar cases in Indiana.”
In Other News...
Louisville Just Exposed A Kansas Concern Fans Cant Ignore
Kansas got a useful early look at itself in an 89-83 exhibition loss at home to No. 11 Louisville, and the result came with the kind of warning signs that can get buried in preseason optimism. The Jayhawks led at halftime, then watched the game tilt after the break as Louisville played with more force and confidence, while Tre White put together a game-high 25 points to help swing the night.
For a fan base already watching how the roster pieces fit, the second half raised questions about the edge and consistency Kansas can expect from this group. There were also some notable moments tied to former player Flory Bidunga, along with uneven showings from Keanu Dawes and Tyran Stokes, leaving the Jayhawks with plenty to sort through before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Fans Have Seen This Freshman Guard Scare Before
Kansas preseason loss to No. 11 Louisville came with a brief scare for the Jayhawks, as freshman guard Taylen Kinney had to leave the game early after dealing with cramps. Head coach Bill Self said Kinney received IV fluids, and the early read from the staff was encouraging enough that the situation did not sound like a major concern.
Kinney is expected to keep playing, which is the part Kansas fans will care about most after watching one of the teams newcomers head to the sideline. Leroy Blyden Jr. is set to start the next game, giving the Jayhawks a chance to keep sorting out their backcourt rotation while they move on from an exhibition loss that still offered a few uneasy moments. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas May Finally Have The Shooting Fix Fans Have Wanted
Kansas spent much of last season searching for more reliable spacing, and this roster looks built to address that problem. Between a reloaded group of newcomers, a few proven transfer shooters and a freshman with a reputation for knocking down shots from the outside, the Jayhawks suddenly have the kind of depth on the perimeter that can change how defenses play them. Coaches and players have pointed to scrimmages and practices as early signs that this group can stretch the floor better and make life easier for everyone else on the court.
What makes the outlook more interesting is that the shooting boost does not seem tied to just one specialist. Kansas has more playmaking and more versatility around the floor, which should create cleaner looks and keep teams from loading up inside. The bigger question now is how quickly all of those pieces settle in once the games start counting, because the promise is there even if the real answer will only show up over time. [Read more 🡒]