Flory Bidunga signs with Louisville after revealing NBA Draft Combine

Louisville basketball's top incoming transfer, former Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, is one step closer to joining the Cardinals for Year 3 of the Pat Kelsey era.

On Tuesday night, a source close to the program told The Courier Journal that Bidunga had signed with UofL, confirming an initial report from Matt Zenitz and Chris Hummer of CBS Sports.

The next step for the reigning Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year? Withdrawing his name from the 2026 NBA Draft by 11:59 p.m. May 27.

Bidunga, a rising junior, announced he would test the draft waters when he entered the NCAA transfer portal this spring. 247Sports and The Athletic were among those that ranked him the No. 1 player available during this edition of college basketball's free agency period.

Bidunga spent last week in Chicago showcasing his game at the NBA Draft Combine. Across two scrimmages at the event, he totaled 18 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.

When asked during a May 13 media availability if he was close to deciding between returning to the college ranks or beginning his professional career, Bidunga said, "Not really, because I feel like it's a day-to-day thing.

"Obviously, I'm here. It's a great honor to be here," he continued, according to a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, by Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban. "I just want to hear from (NBA teams). ... If I have a good (draft projection), the NBA is my dream — so I'll probably stay in, for sure."  

That option remained on the table at the time of publication, but Bidunga has more to gain from donning a Louisville uniform in 2026-27. Here's why:

Louisville basketball commit Flory Bidunga's NBA draft stock took a hit at the combine

The biggest takeaway from Bidunga's trip to the NBA Draft Combine: He's going to be undersized whenever he reaches the sport's highest level.

Bidunga checked in at 6 feet, 7¾ inches tall barefoot, which made him the second-shortest center at the event. His standing reach (8-10½) was also second-to-last. He led the position in both the standing vertical leap (34 inches) and the max vertical leap (40½ inches), but that wasn't enough to offset concerns about how he'll hold up in the professional ranks.

"The disconnect continues to be rooted in his offensive game and correlating defensive position," 247Sports scouting director Adam Finkelstein wrote for CBS Sports on Monday. "He was as mobile and switchable as any frontcourt defender in college basketball last year; but, offensively, he's a straight 5 — and there are questions about whether he has the size and strength to body up with opposing NBA centers."

Kansas listed Bidunga at 6-10 entering the 2025-26 season. Across 31.6 minutes per game during Year 2 with the Jayhawks, he was the only Division I player to average more than 13 points (13.3), 8.5 rebounds (nine) and 2.5 blocks (2.6). He finished the campaign tied for ninth nationally with 13 double-doubles.

Before the advent of the transfer portal and revenue-sharing contracts, Bidunga's stellar sophomore year would have been enough for some players to make the NBA leap. But, in this day and age, Finkelstein estimated he would "have to be a top-10 pick" to match what the Cards are reportedly offering him to wear the red and black.

It's hard to compete with that kind of payday.

What if Flory Bidunga bypasses Louisville for NBA?

Let's say Bidunga decides to stay in the draft after signing with Louisville. Where would that leave the Cards?

Kelsey would be losing the centerpiece of his top-ranked transfer portal haul — one of the most dominant big men in the college ranks. But he appears to have a contingency plan in place.

Obinna Ekezie Jr., a 7-footer who just finished his junior season at Southeastern Preparatory Academy in Maitland, Florida, committed to UofL on May 3 and reclassified to the Class of 2026 to enroll a year early. He grades out as a five-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite (ranking 14th overall and No. 1 at his position) and boasts a 9-4½ standing reach.

When Ekezie picked Louisville, he told On3's Joe Tipton the program had "everything I need in terms of winning and development" — noting, "I have a great opportunity to develop and showcase my game at both the 4 and 5 alongside Flory Bidunga."

If Bidunga were to bypass the Cards, the incoming freshman is an obvious choice to anchor the frontcourt with Iowa transfer Alvaro Folgueiras at the 4. His upside is enormous, but there will be growing pains.

"He has a projectable frame that should continue to add muscle mass and really blossom in a college weight room but still needs to develop the physicality and assertiveness to maximize it," Finkelstein wrote in an April 30 evaluation of Ekezie's game.

That's why, in an ideal world, he would complement Bidunga — not serve as a full-blown replacement.

Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Flory Bidunga signs with Louisville basketball after NBA Draft Combine