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The Transfer Portal's top center Flory Bidunga commits to Louisville

IMG_6080 3by: William McDermott04/12/26804derm

Louisville and head coach Pat Kelsey have won the NCAA Transfer Portal’s biggest prize.

Kansas center Flory Bidunga has committed to play for the Cardinals.

He chose the U of L on his visit, before schools like Duke, Michigan, and St. John’s could get him on campus. Bidunga was accompanied by Louisville portal target Jackson Shelstad and the two’s agent on the Friday visit.

Shelstad also committed to the Cardinals on Sunday.

Louisville basketball 2026 offseason roster and staff tracker

The sophomore averaged 13.3 points and 9.0 rebounds in 31.6 minutes a game this past season. He also led the Jayhawks and was one of the Big 12’s best rim protectors, totaling a league-best 90 blocks. Bidunga earned Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors with 2.6 blocks a contest and was tied seventh in the country, making 64.0 percent of his attempts from the floor.

A 6-foot-10 center originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bidunga arrived in the United States as a teenager and played high school ball in Kokomo, Indiana. As a five-star recruit, Bidunga committed to Kansas, where he spent the last two seasons.

Bindunga is the kind of player Louisville hasn’t had in its two seasons under Kelsey. He could be the most impactful player in all of college basketball on the defensive end, plays with a relentless energy on the glass, and is still improving. As a freshman, Bidunga made six starts and played just 16 minutes a contest, only to make significant strides around the basket offensively, while also improving his free-throw percentage by almost 12 percent.

It’s worth noting that Bidunga has kept a professional route open and will likely test where scouts see him landing in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Kelsey and Louisville are off to an excellent start this portal cycle and have a lot of work to do. After all, the Cardinals are losing seven players to graduation, and three have entered the transfer portal.

Transfer Portal: Louisville, Pat Kelsey begin reshaping the roster

Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) reacts after blocking a shot by Arizona Wildcats during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026.
Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) reacts after blocking a shot by Arizona Wildcats during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 9, 2026. © Evert Nelson/The Capital-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Flory Bidunga highlights

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