{"id":79885,"date":"2026-04-13T09:33:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:33:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/isport.com.ng\/?p=79885"},"modified":"2026-04-13T09:33:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T09:33:08","slug":"duke-loses-out-on-star-transfer-big-man","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/isport.com.ng\/?p=79885","title":{"rendered":"Duke Loses Out on Star Transfer Big Man"},"content":{"rendered":"

Duke Loses Out on Star Transfer Big Man<\/h1>\n
Scheyer and Co. have missed on the portal’s top player.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
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The 2026 NCAA Transfer Portal cycle is beginning to heat up, as many of the portal’s top talents are beginning to take official visits and narrow their lists down in terms of potential schools. The Duke basketball program has been involved with several of those top prospects.<\/p>\n

However, head coach Jon Scheyer and his staff have missed out on arguably the top player in the entire portal. Former Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, the No. 1 overall player in the transfer portal according to\u00a0247Sports<\/u>, has\u00a0committed to Louisville.<\/u><\/p>\n

It was reported that Bidunga was considering Duke, Louisville, Michigan, and St. John’s.<\/p>\n

Duke Misses on Star Kansas Transfer Flory Bidunga<\/h2>\n

Bidunga<\/u>\u00a0was obviously a hot commodity in the portal, and it felt like the Blue Devils could land the elite big man if they wanted to. When the Congo native was coming out of high school as a highly-touted recruit, Duke was named in his final four schools before Bidunga ultimately committed to Bill Self and the Jayhawks.<\/p>\n

The 6’10”, 235-pound star rim protector was slated to take a visit to Duke on Sunday, but canceled it as he ended up signing with the Cardinals.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n
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When he entered the portal, it was reported that Bidunga was seeking $4 million to $5 million from whichever school he committed to, which would likely be more than he would earn in his first year on an NBA rookie salary if he were to declare for the 2026 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n

Bidunga is projected as a potential late first-round pick in this summer’s draft, but if Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals honored Bidunga’s $4-$5 million market value, that will likely be a higher paycheck than he would’ve made if he were drafted at his projected range.<\/p>\n

Duke Still Waiting on Patrick Ngongba Decision<\/h2>\n

Duke may not have been able to go after Bidunga as aggressively as possible, as it is currently unclear whether sophomore\u00a0Patrick Ngongba<\/u>\u00a0will make the jump to the NBA or return to Durham. That decision obviously pays huge dividends in whether the Blue Devils needed to pursue Bidunga.<\/p>\n

Similar to the former Jayhawk, Ngongba is a projected late first-rounder in this summer’s draft and could earn more if he were to return to Duke for a junior campaign. If Scheyer and Co. can get the 6’11” center back, that would become a major development into the Blue Devils’ 2026-27 ceiling.<\/p>\n

Scheyer and his staff must now pivot and continue to navigate the portal chaos.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Duke Loses Out on Star Transfer Big Man Scheyer and Co. have missed on the portal’s top player. 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