Based on the counselor’s recommendation, Flory sent an email to Gutwein early in 2021. A counselor at Bidunga’s high school was familiar with Kokomo’s international program, which currently includes more than 100 students who live in a campus dormitory. His father is an engineer and his mother is a successful businesswoman, and both are firm believers in the importance of education and value of travel. Rather, Bidunga’s decision to finish his high school education in the U.S. He fared well but didn’t do anything to augur a big-time future. It wasn’t until Flory was 12 years old that a family friend, noting his height, suggested he try basketball.

I can’t let all these things get into my head, so I just have to try to focus and do my thing.”īidunga’s nifty footwork is another enticing asset, one which he attributes to his years playing soccer while growing up in the DRC capital of Kinshasa. “I feel good, but nothing has really changed. “Yeah, it does surprise me,” he told The Athletic after Sunday’s championship win over Utah Prospects. The recent surge is just one more layer of unfamiliarity Bidunga has had to adjust to since coming to the States, but so far he is sounding all the right notes. “It’s nice to see someone like him see the hard work pay off.” “The scary thing is he’s probably a better kid than he is a basketball player,” Peckinpaugh says. Moreover, Bidunga plays the game with a high motor and cheerful demeanor, and by all accounts he is extremely coachable. He is equally dominant on the defensive end. He is a prolific dunker who catches post entries in traffic, finishes with both hands (he’s a natural lefty), is a rapid repeat jumper, and routinely beats guards down the floor. He stands a chiseled 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds, with long arms and unusual bounce for a player his size. And he’s only going to get bigger and stronger the next few years.”įor a guy who flew under the radar for so long, Bidunga sure is hard to miss. He’s not as polished as some of the other guys, but he’s got a great body, great hands, great feel for the game, gives great effort. “I’m not the lone ranger on that based on the college coaches I’ve spoken to. “I’ve seen all the top players in that class, and he’s a much better prospect than any of them,” says Frank Burlison, a veteran recruiting scout who watched Bidunga in action last week as well as at the prestigious NBPA Top 100 camp in Orlando last month. 1 prospect in the Class of 2024, he’s awfully close. The five-day, five-game stretch confirmed what is rapidly becoming understood in basketball circles: If Bidunga is not the consensus No. His ascent continued unabated last week at the Adidas 3SSB Open, where Bidunga overpowered the competition and led his Indiana Elite squad to the Under 16 championship. No doubt those outlets will make a similar adjustment to the one recently made by Rivals, where Bidunga went from unranked to No. Even now, he remains unlisted in the 247Sports Composite, which includes the top 86 players in the class. Two months ago, Flory Bidunga’s name did not appear in any of the major national recruiting rankings for the Class of 2024. Just 10 months later, this tall young man with the high ceiling has outgrown every expectation and then some. After that first workout, I figured he had a good chance to turn into a pretty good player.”

“The way he picked up on things, even with the language barrier, was impressive. “You could see the raw, natural ability was there,” Peckinpaugh says.

He had heard that the new arrival had not played basketball for very long, but it didn’t take long for Peckinpaugh to realize the student had considerable potential. Peckinpaugh, 33, was about to start his first season as Kokomo’s basketball coach. John Peckinpaugh was understandably intrigued when the shy, polite young man from Congo alighted in Indiana a few months later.

Kokono no basket