University of Louisville forward Flory Bidunga has landed on the 2027 NABC Division I Player of the Year Preseason Watch List, one of 20 players included when the National Association of Basketball Coaches unveiled the group Thursday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo.
The honor points to a strong start to the 2027 race for an award that will be decided by a nationwide vote of Division I head coaches after the regular season and announced the week of the 2027 Men’s Final Four. The NABC Division I Player of the Year has been handed out every year since 1974-75, and it remains the only national player of the year award chosen by the sport’s head coaches.
Bidunga brings a loaded resume into the season. He is the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in blocks with 91 and blocks per game at 2.6. Those marks placed him fourth and fifth nationally, respectively, in 2025-26.
The 6-10, 235-pound forward from Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, also powered his offense efficiently. He hit 64% of his shots from the floor, tops in the Big 12 and 10th in the country, while posting four 20-point games and 13 double-doubles. For the season, he averaged 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game.
Bidunga’s production earned him All-Big 12 First Team and All-Defensive Team recognition. He also finished as a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award and appeared on late-season watch lists for both Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
His track record stretches back to his freshman year, when he set the Kansas freshman field goal percentage record by shooting 69.8%. He also led the Jayhawks with 54 blocks and ranked third in the Big 12 with 1.6 blocks per game.
On Wednesday night against Mercyhurst, Bidunga posted a game-high 19 points and nine rebounds, along with two blocks and a steal.
The preseason watch list also includes John Blackwell and Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje of Duke, Elliot Cadeau of Michigan, Rueben Chinyelu and Alex Condon of Florida, Thijs De Ridder of Virginia, Silas Demary Jr. of Connecticut, Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State, Juke Harris of Tennessee, Thomas Haugh of Florida, Motiejus Krivas of Arizona, David Mirkovic of Illinois, Milan Momcilovic of Kentucky, Braylon Mullins of Connecticut, Pryce Sandfort of Nebraska, Tyran Stokes of Kansas, Tyler Tanner of Vanderbilt, JT Toppin of Texas Tech and Robert Wright III of BYU.
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