Leaving your home, moving to another country, and eventually earning the 2024 Indiana Mr. Basketball award is no easy task.
Just ask Flory Bidunga, a graduating senior at Kokomo High School, who has taken on many challenges and succeeded at all of his goals. During the previous basketball season, he also drew a lot of fans to his team’s games.
Bidunga left Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, for Kokomo to attend the international school, and decided to play basketball. He said it’s a game he has loved since he was young, and he pushes himself to continually improve.
“I started playing basketball when I was 13 or 14 years old,” he said.
It’s a game he excelled at very quickly. Bidunga came to Kokomo High School during his sophomore year and quickly became a force on the basketball court. In his sophomore year he averaged 17.5 points, 5.3 blocks and 13.3 rebounds per game.
Bidunga, a 6-foot, 8-inch center, said he loves working with his coach and teammates.
“I love to win,” he said. “I also love to make relationships with my teammates and work together to become better at the game.”
Bidunga’s hard work with the team has paid off. In both his junior and senior years at Kokomo High School, he became the Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year. He earned this feat his junior year by averaging 20.2 points per game. During his senior year, he earned 19 points per game.
Bidunga was such a great player, he received 198 votes from high school coaches and Indiana media members to earn the Mr. Indiana Basketball award. During his entire time as a high school basketball player, he scored 1,609 points.
Makenna Schrader, Bidunga’s guardian, said he works very hard every day in school and in practice.
“He is in the gym every day of the school week, and is really dedicated to everything he does,” Schrader said. “He puts forth a lot of effort into continually improving, and not just in basketball.”
Bidunga chose Kansas for college basketball. He was a consensus five-star recruit.
“I feel pretty good about my decision,” he said. “I am excited to play for Kansas Coach Bill Self. I chose Kansas because I wanted to play for Coach Self and his coaching staff. It felt like a real fit for me in the style of play, as well as the great education.”
Bidunga has been working hard this summer to get ready for his first season as a college player.
“I am focusing on training, staying in shape and getting in better shape,” Bidunga said. “I also am working on my ball-handling skills and shooting skills.”
Bidunga said he is unsure of what he will major in at Kansas. “I am undecided right now but looking into business,” he said.
Bidunga has some advice for younger basketball players.
“At the end of the day it’s all about having fun,” he said. “Of course, you have to compete, but you can do that with joy.”
When Bidunga isn’t practicing, Schrader said he enjoys taking it easy.
“He has a girlfriend and a lot of friends,” Schrader said. “He loves to play video games, watch TV and just relax.”
Schrader said she couldn’t be prouder of Bidunga.
“My husband, Dillon, and I are so incredibly proud of Flory and how far he has come over the past three years,” Schrader said. “As a kid off the court, we are even more in awe of his humbleness, sense of humor, and humility in a potentially very overwhelming atmosphere. He has handled it beautifully. We are blessed to have him as part of our lives and excited to see where he goes from here.”
