Flory Bidunga is settling into Louisville, but he hasn’t forgotten Kansas.
At ACC basketball media day in Charlotte on Tuesday, the former Jayhawk forward made it clear that his two years at KU still matter to him, even as he starts the next chapter with the Cardinals. When reporter Michael McCammon of 247Sports asked what he learned from Hall of Fame coach Bill Self, Bidunga had plenty to say.
“Oh man … great coach. Shoutout coach Self.
“He taught me a lot as a player, as a person, as a human being. There’s much I can talk about.
What can I pick? I mean there’s a lot.
I remember when I left. He told me he would always be there for me, and I appreciate that.
He’s a great person. I will always respect him,” Bidunga added.
Bidunga, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and played high school basketball and soccer at Kokomo High School in Indiana, also addressed the bigger question hanging over his move: why leave Kansas in the first place?
“I feel like we can do something great here with Pat Kelsey. ... I guess I just wanted to see something else,” said the 6-foot-9, 235-pound, 21-year-old Bidunga.
That “something else” means Louisville, where Kelsey is entering his third year and has built a 51-19 record. The Cardinals tied for second in the league at 18-2 in 2024-25 before falling to Creighton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, Louisville went 11-7 and finished sixth in the league, then lost to Michigan State in the Round of 32.
Bidunga had praise ready for his new coach, too.
“Coach Kelsey is a great dude, great coach. I’ve been saying I haven’t seen something like him before.
Just seeing him as a person, as a coach being able to train with us, practice with us, do the drills with us. My visit really spoke a lot to me.
I trust him as a coach, as a player, and I think we can do something special as a team. Obviously I love the culture and the man in the world of basketball, no doubt about it,” Bidunga said.
On the floor, Louisville believes it has landed a difference-maker. Bidunga’s 2025-26 numbers at Kansas showed exactly why: 13.3 points per game on 64% shooting, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. He also piled up 91 blocked shots in 35 games, including 34 starts.
He said one of the biggest things he’s working on now is “being vocal.”
As for what teammates are seeing early on, Louisville junior guard Adrian Wooley said Bidunga has already made an impression in practice. Wooley is the only returning rotation player from last year’s Cardinals team.
“Oh, man. I really can’t tell you that I’ve played against or played with anybody of his caliber, so just being able to play against him at practice is preparing me and preparing everybody else for what’s to come in the future,” Wooley said at media day.
Kelsey has been just as enthusiastic. After Bidunga committed on April 12, he called the big man “Flory is a game changer,” and said, “He has an elite ability to change the game on the defensive end with his rim protection and physicality in the paint.
While there’s no doubt that he’s one of the best lob threats in the country, we believe there is another level to his game offensively that we’re ready to unlock. He is a true two-way impactful player that we believe is only scratching the surface of his potential, and we’re glad he’s chosen to be a Louisville Cardinal.”
Bidunga’s return to Allen Fieldhouse is already on the calendar. Louisville and Kansas will meet in a 6 p.m. exhibition game on Oct. 21.
And the Cardinals will arrive in Lawrence with plenty of size. Bidunga will be joined by 7-2 Obinna Ekezie and Gabe Dynes, a 7-5, 230-pound transfer from USC.
“We’ve been practicing against each other for so long we can’t wait to see everybody,” Bidunga said of opposing teams.
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It sets up a clean strength-on-strength matchup that should say a lot about where Kansas really stands. The Jayhawks have been good enough on the defensive side to belong in this conversation, but this trip will ask more of them than anything theyve seen so far, and it comes with a long history attached. Kansas has not beaten Utah in more than seven decades, which only adds to the weight of a game that already feels like a measuring stick. [Read more 🡒]
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Flory Bidungas departure from Kansas already had the feel of a significant roster turn, but his first public explanation in a Louisville uniform added a more personal layer to the move. The former Jayhawk and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year appeared at the ACC Basketball Tipoff and addressed why he decided to transfer after the 2025-26 season, giving a clearer look at the thinking behind a change that had plenty of people around Lawrence paying attention.
Bidunga made it plain that his exit was not about bad blood with Bill Self or the Kansas program, and he said he did not want to waste a year. He also spoke respectfully about both schools and coaches, while framing Louisville as the chance for a fresh start under Pat Kelsey, whom he described as a great coach. For Kansas fans, it leaves the move in a different light, even if the full picture of how it all unfolded still feels like it has another layer to come. [Read more 🡒]
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For a program that has spent too long waiting for proof it could consistently control a game on that side of the ball, the timing mattered almost as much as the result. The shutout offered a welcome boost before Big 12 play, and it also carried a little history with it, giving Kansas a long-awaited reminder that this defense can still deliver something fans had not seen in years. [Read more 🡒]