Michigan basketball has missed out on one of its top transfer portal targets.
Flory Bidunga, a former Kansas center who was listed as the top available player in the transfer portal by ESPN, has committed to Louisville according to multiple reports after he took a visit over the weekend.
Michigan has been a top landing spot for big men on the move in recent year after pulling in Danny Wolf, Vladislav Goldin, Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara (not to mention Yaxel Lendeborg, who was last year’s top-ranked portal player). This time, the Wolverines weren’t able to pull it off, as Bidunga committed to the Cardinals before even visiting Michigan.
The 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward out of Congo was named first-team All-Big 12 and Defensive Player of the Year in the league. He played 35 games and started 34, posting 13.3 points, nine rebounds and 2.6 blocks per contest. He shot 64% from the floor, posted 26 games in double figures and had 13 double-doubles, which included a 23-point, 11-rebound, five block night against Baylor.
The hope in Ann Arbor was he would slot in at center in place of Mara if he gets strong feedback from the NBA. Should Johnson return, the duo would have formed one of the most formidable front courts in the country.
But Michigan does have a strong backup plan. Dusty May and his staff already landed former Tennessee big man J.P. Estrella in the portal earlier in the week, but this does mark a rare miss for U-M’s staff.
“I think he’s a first-round NBA draft pick. In fact, I’ve got him at No. 29 on our big board,” 247Sports scouting director Adam Finkelstein said of Bidunga during an April 8 appearance on CBS Sports HQ. “But here’s the thing: That equated this year to about a $2.3 million slot; and he’s going to get a whole lot more in the portal. … He’s going to be as dominant of a center as there is if he stays in the college game next year.”
Michigan should be in decent standing in the front court even if it does not add another big man, as long as Johnson returns, but that’s no guarantee. There is an expectation, however, that Michigan is still looking to add more depth to its front court.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan misses on top transfer target Flory Bidunga, picks Louisville
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
