Louisville spent big this offseason, and with that spending has come a mountain of expectation. Pat Kelsey and his staff added nine players, including six transfers, and the Cardinals built what is being billed as one of the most expensive rosters in college basketball.
That kind of roster construction doesn’t leave much room for patience. It brings Final Four talk fast.
At the center of all that buzz is Flory Bidunga, the 5-star transfer from Kansas who arrived as Louisville’s biggest addition. He came in with the No.
1 Transfer Portal ranking, and the Cardinals landed the top portal class in the country. Kelsey also brought in two transfers ranked in the top 20, three in the top 60 and four in the top 70.
Bidunga’s profile already carried plenty of weight before he ever put on a Louisville uniform. He is coming off an All-Big 12 season at Kansas, and the numbers back up the hype: 13.3 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. He finished with 14 double-doubles, ranked No. 5 in blocks per game, No. 4 in total blocks with 91, earned All-Big 12 First-Team honors and was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Still, not everyone is sold. The Field of 68 added another layer to the conversation this week, with Rob Dauster openly questioning whether Louisville has the kind of star power that matches the preseason noise.
“Do they have an All-American?” stated Rob Dauster.
“Do they have anyone that’s going to be a top five player in the sport in their position? Do they have any superstars?”
Dauster’s comments landed squarely on the same question hovering over Bidunga and Jackson Shelstad: can either player rise to the level Louisville needs? He made clear he’s not there yet.
“I just don’t know where the All-Americans and pros are on this Louisville roster, and I hope that I am wrong about Jackson Shelstad and I hope that I am wrong about Flory Bidunga, but we will see if they can be at that level.”
For Bidunga, the challenge is obvious. His defensive impact is already elite, and his value as a lob threat makes him a dangerous big man. But the next step is the one everyone keeps circling: becoming more reliable offensively and adding a post game to his arsenal.
That’s where the opportunity lies. If Bidunga makes that leap, he has the talent to become one of the best centers in college basketball and a top-five player at his position.
For now, the criticism is piling up. And if he needed extra fuel, Field of 68 just handed him a fresh batch.
In Other News...
Pat Kelseys First Louisville Lineup Sent A Clear Preseason Message
Louisvilles lone exhibition in the Bahamas offered Pat Kelsey an early look at a roster still taking shape, and the lineup choices were the first real clue to how he wants to sort out the pieces. With Karter Knox and Obinna Ekezie Jr. unavailable, the Cardinals opened with Jackson Shelstad, London Johnson, Alvaro Folgueiras, DeShayne Montgomery and Flory Bidunga, a group that blended backcourt skill, size and versatility as the staff gets a feel for what fits.
The more interesting part for Louisville followers was not just who started, but what the rotation suggested about the pecking order behind them. Adrian Wooley, the highly touted transfer expected to be one of the programs most important guards, was in the mix but not in the opening five, a detail that makes this early snapshot worth watching as the Cardinals continue to sort out roles before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Flory Bidunga Gave Louisville Fans The Interior Force Theyve Been Waiting For
Louisvilles first look at its new group came in an exhibition against Raw Talent, and the Cardinals wasted little time showing why the frontcourt could be the defining part of this seasons identity. The win was lopsided from the start, but the bigger takeaway for Louisville fans was the debut of Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga, whose combination of size, timing and activity gave the roster the kind of interior presence it has been missing.
Bidunga finished with a strong all-around line, flashing the defensive reputation that made him such a sought-after addition in the portal and giving the Cardinals a glimpse of how disruptive he can be around the rim. Louisville still has plenty to sort out before the games count, but if this was the first public sample of what Bidunga brings, the staff and fan base have reason to believe the middle of the floor will look a lot different this year. [Read more 🡒]