Five-star Kansas basketball commit Flory Bidunga starring on the high school soccer pitch in Indiana

The most dominant post presence in high school basketball is showcasing his skills in another sport this fall as 6-foot-9 Flory Bidunga has put together an impressive senior season on the soccer pitch for Kokomo (Ind.).

Regarded as the No. 8 hoops prospect in the Class of 2024 according to 247Sports, Bidunga is an intimidating force on the basketball court known for his shot blocking prowess and thunderous dunks.

Bidunga earned first team MaxPreps Junior All-America honors last season after averaging 20.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per contest while shooting 81 percent from the field to guide Kokomo to the state title game. A native of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bidunga moved to Kokomo in 2021 before putting together a dominant sophomore season that put him on the national radar as one of the top basketball prospects in the nation. He averaged 17.5 points, 13.3 rebounds and 5.3 blocks per contest his first year in the United States and quickly rose up the recruiting rankings the summer following his impressive 2021-22 campaign.

Although he has the potential to be selected in the lottery of the 2025 NBA Draft after spending one season with the Kansas Jayhawks, Bidunga is showing the value of being a two-sport athlete while in high school.

He stands out on the soccer pitch as he towers over smaller defenders that appear half his size, putting that advantage to use as a massive target on corner kicks.

Although his prowess in the air is unmatched on the soccer pitch, Bidunga is also skilled with the ball at his feet and has clearly established himself as the best player for the Wildkats this season as he leads the team in goals. Bidunga has tallied seven goals and two assists through eight games played and has shown impressive endurance as he has played in 615 of 640 possible minutes for his squad including playing all 80 minutes in each of his first six games this season.

His best performance of the season came in a 3-2 victory over Oak Hill on Aug. 26 when he accounted for all three of his team's goals with two goals and an assists while playing the full 80 minutes.

Although Kokomo is just 4-7 so far this season, it is already an improvement from last year when the Wildkats finished the season with a record of 2-12-1.

Kokomo has four games remaining in regular season play before Bidunga turns his attention back to hoops. He will enter the 2023-24 high school basketball season as one of the frontrunners for MaxPreps National Player of the Year honors.

If Bidunga is able to finish the soccer season out strong he may also see himself in contention for MaxPreps Male Athlete of the Year honors in the spring.