By DREW LARISON
The Kokomo Post Staff

Flory Bidunga, the 6-foot, 9-inch center originally from the Congo, is easily the most nationally famous topic to come out of Kokomo since that tornado took down that Starbucks at the Markland Mall. If you have any finger on the pulse of local sports, you have heard of the local athlete the world is watching.

As a sophomore, Bidunga helped lead the Wildkats to a semi-state appearance for the first time in many years, and there are even higher expectations this year. A quick look at his social media accounts tell the tale: Bidunga has been busy playing in summer leagues where his skills have caught the eyes of several schools, as well as the NBA.

We’re big fans of Flory over here at The Kokomo Post, so we want to help keep the community informed on all that is happening with his career in Kokomo, as well as what his future may hold. Welcome to the first piece in our new series, #FloryWatch. In this first piece, I want to break down all of the current college offers we have confirmed Flory has received in the off-season.

Florida Gators

According to Flory’s Twitter account, The Florida Gators officially offered on Sept. 21. Flory noted the coaching staff came and visited Flory in Kokomo.

Louisville Cardinals

A more recent offer, on Oct. 1, came in from a team a little closer to home, the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville is known for being a basketball school and could potentially be a great place for Flory to land.

Kansas Jayhawks

The Kansas Jayhawks are to college basketball as McDonald’s is to cheeseburgers. This offer came in on Sept. 7, and really set the tone for how important of a recruit Flory was going to be nationwide.

Butler Bulldogs

The Butler Bulldogs officially made an offer on Sept. 4, and Flory’s Kokomo fan base loves this move. Butler has built a strong brand in Indiana over the past decade, and this could be a great “close to home” option for Flory.

Indiana Hoosiers

This one came with no surprise to anyone following along with Flory’s story. The Hoosiers could be a great option for Flory. You can expect the Hoosiers to do all they can to get Flory to Bloomington.

Michigan Wolverines

This Big Ten team is a real contender. Michigan is coached by Juwan Howard, one of the NBA’s most legendary big men. Michigan has a pretty good track record of helping power forwards and centers make it to the next level, and that may be an attractive thing to Flory. Also, Michigan is only three-ish hours away from “home.”

Purdue Boilermakers

Just like IU, this will likely be a very talked-about opportunity for Flory. You can fully expect coach Matt Painter and his staff to do all they can to get Flory 30 miles west to West Lafayette. You can also expect Kokomo’s base of Purdue fans to do all they can to persuade him that way as well.

Cincinnati Bearcats

The Bearcats have become an online favorite for the place Flory is most likely to land. We’re not sure what about this combination makes more sense than others, but a handful of national recruiting analysts think this is the most likely outcome.

Kentucky Wildcats

This is the newest offer that just came in on October 12th. The Kentucky coaching staff was seen at Kokomo High School and the local rumor mill started churning quickly. We were able to confirm the visit after a conversation with the athletic department and then later in the evening Flory confirmed through his Twitter account that an offer had been made.

Michigan State Spartans

Flory received an offer from Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo on November 6th. This was the 16th offer Bidunga received before his Junior season. Michigan State is and has been a National powerhouse for decades. In-state rival, the University of Michigan, offered Bidunga back in late September.

The following offers have all been confirmed by On3.com, a college sports digital media, data and marketing company from the founders of powerhouse sites rivals.com and 247sports.com:

Georgetown Hoyas

This offer simply makes sense. One of the greatest big men to ever play the game, Patrick Ewing, was a Georgetown graduate and set the tone for the program over the years. Could be a great place for Flory to grow his game.

Arizona State Sun Devils

Flory is only one of three centers Arizona State has offered in the 2024 class.

Auburn Tigers

Flory was offered by the Auburn Tigers making him the fifth center offer in the Tigers’ 2024 class.

Bradley Braves

This offer is most likely not to go anywhere, but the coaches of the Bradley Braves put their hat in the ring. Brady is located in Peoria, Illinois, so it would be another “close-to-home” option.

Creighton Bluejays

The Creighton Bluejays are located in Omaha, Nebraska.

Wake Forest Deamon Deacons

This Atlantic Coast Conference school in North Carolina will most likely not be in the running for Flory’s final choice, according to On3’s predictions.

We’ve got a long road to go until Flory makes his final decision on where he will continue his basketball career. Make sure to follow along on our Facebook page as well for all of our #FloryWatch updates!

All 16 Colleges That Have Offered Kokomo’s Flory Bidunga A Scholarship [Updated 11/7]