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Flory Bidunga, the top-ranked heart within the 2024 class, introduced his dedication to Kansas on Saturday.

Bidunga, who made his announcement on the UA Subsequent Elite 24 sport in Atlanta, selected the Jayhawks over Auburn, Duke and Michigan.

“I used to be enthusiastic about Kansas once they supplied,” Bidunga informed ESPN. “We spoke on the cellphone, and so they had been severe about me, then I received severe with them. Once we went there and met everybody it was nice. Coach [Bill] Self and employees had been continuously at my video games. I see him as a coach who will push me and educate me on the court docket. Off the court docket, he’s a caring and good man. Very humorous and a wise ass in a great way off the court docket.”

Duke appeared as the favourite popping out of July, though Kansas maintained a robust place in Bidunga’s recruitment. Auburn made a push down the stretch, however the Jayhawks had been in a position to land the massive man’s dedication.

“Once I watched follow, I may see how he believes in his gamers,” Bidunga mentioned. “I do know they are going to develop my expertise and assist me with my purpose of creating the NBA. My dream is to not simply make it, however keep there.”

A local of the Congo, the 6-foot-9 Bidunga is ranked No. 4 total within the ESPN 100 and is the No. 1 heart within the class. He burst onto the scene final spring and summer time, then backed that up with one other dominant exhibiting on the grassroots circuit in July. In six video games on the Sportradar Showdown in Las Vegas with Indiana Elite, Bidunga averaged 18.5 factors, 9.7 rebounds and three.5 blocks.

Bidunga, who plans to additionally play soccer this season at Kokomo Excessive Faculty (Indiana), strikes exceptionally properly and performs with fixed power and energy. Within the open court docket, he runs with lengthy strides and nice open-court velocity. A high-level athlete who possesses energy, bounce and agility, Bidunga is at his finest when ending performs on the rim, rebounding and blocking pictures. His shot-blocking vary is spectacular, as his willingness to hunt rebounds exterior of his space. His contact is creating as is his go-to transfer, a left-handed jump-hook on the best block going towards the center of the paint. He scores with post-up angles inside and he has the arms to catch and rating within the high-low sport. The following space of enchancment will probably be his face-up sport.

Bidunga is Self and Kansas’ first dedication of the 2024 class and this system’s highest-ranked pledge since Josh Jackson (No. 2) picked the Jayhawks within the 2016 class.

Earlier on the UA Subsequent Elite 24 sport, ESPN 100 guard Nasir Mohammed introduced his dedication to Notre Dame. The son of former Kentucky star and first-round NBA draft choose Nazr Mohammed, the 6-foot-5 wing selected the Preventing Irish over finalists Marquette, Stanford, Virginia Tech and Villanova.

“The connection I’ve constructed with coach [Micah] Shrewsberry through the years has been the distinction. His imaginative and prescient for me to be a lead guard and the items he’s placing collectively is thrilling,” Mohammed informed ESPN. “The historical past of the basketball program and the college academically match me completely.”