Kansas’ Undersized Frontcourt Could Be a Rebounding Liability

Kansas basketball will likely operate with a shorter starting lineup than it has had in past years. Will this cause rebounding troubles for the Jayhawks?

Mar 12, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) shoots the ball during the first half against the UCF Knights at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Following the departure of Hunter Dickinson to graduation, the Kansas basketball team is expected to start returning sophomore Flory Bidunga at center despite his brief stint in the transfer portal this offseason.

He played 16.3 minutes per game during his first year in Lawrence but appears ready for a full-time role after refining his game over the summer.

Bidunga is an extraordinary talent who averaged 1.6 blocks per night in limited action last year. But if there is one limitation to his game, it is his size.

Standing at 6-foot-9, 220 pounds (now reported as 235 by KU Athletics), Bidunga doesn't bring the same towering presence that KU has been accustomed to in recent years with the 7-foot-2 Dickinson manning the paint.

Bidunga's superior athleticism, mobility, and rim-running ability could make him an even more feared presence on both ends of the court. However, he is not the kind of dominant rebounder that Dickinson was at his height.

He averaged 8.7 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes last season, compared to Dickinson's 9.6. That said, rebounding shouldn't be a huge weakness for Bidunga himself, as the real question lies in the frontcourt around him.

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The Jayhawks are expected to start four guards alongside Bidunga, meaning the second-tallest player on the floor will likely be 6-foot-7 Tre White, an Illinois transfer who has primarily played as an off-ball guard or wing throughout his career.

White is expected to shift into a small-ball four role, something he has never done before. Although he is a capable rebounder after averaging 5.5 boards per game last season, this duo does not exactly form a traditional twin-tower front line paired with Bidunga.

Illinois Fighting Illini guard Tre White (22) celebrates after sinking a three point basket in the second half of the NCAA Tournament First Round game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Xavier Musketeers at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee on Friday, March 21, 2025. Xavier was eliminated from the tournament, losing 86-73, to Illinois. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This is not something KU hasn't dealt with before considering KJ Adams started for three years (once as an undersized center) and was always a below-average rebounder.

Nonetheless, Kansas compensated for that weakness with the presence of Dickinson, finishing within the top 20 nationally in defensive rebounding over the past two seasons.

Now with an inexperienced Bidunga stepping into that role, the Jayhawks could once again be strong on the boards or struggle early on as he becomes more acclimated to his responsibilities in the paint.

If rebounding does become a weakness, Bill Self will likely turn to fellow big men Paul Mbiya (6-foot-11) and Bryson Tiller (6-foot-10) more often to utilize the double-big lineups that he experimented with featuring Dickinson and Bidunga late last season.

On the other hand, KU will be a much more athletic and fast-paced team this year, which should allow the Jayhawks to run the floor more efficiently and capitalize in transition.