Why Flory Bidunga Is Key To Kansas' Chances Against No. 1 Arizona

Bill Self called Saturday's 71-59 win over Utah "average at best," aside from on individual effort.

"I thought Flory [Bidunga] was our best player and by far," Self said of the sophomore forward's 17 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and three assists.

It wasn't necessarily anything surprising from Bidunga, the team's second-leading scorer and leading rebounder who ranks second nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. Rather, it was a continuation of his emergence as a sophomore, and it's reason for optimism heading into Monday's showdown with No. 1 Arizona.

Bidunga has scored more points in seven other games and recorded eight double-doubles on the season, but Saturday was one of his most well-rounded game of the season. He was his usual, efficient self, going 7-for-8 from the field and raising his field goal percentage to 68.4% –– third-best in the nation.

Bidunga also did a good job switching onto Utah's guards and defending on the perimeter. And when he dropped back down to the paint, he rejected a season-high seven shots.

Flory Bidunga Kansas Basketball — Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at United Supermarkets Arena. | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Self mentioned the BYU game Jan. 31 was important for Bidunga, because it gave him an opportunity to defend AJ Dybantsa, one of the nation's top NBA Draft prospects. Self thought Bidunga was energized by holding his own in that matchup, which carried over to a strong performance against Texas Tech All-American forward JT Toppin the following game.

Beyond the efficient scoring and intimidating shot-blocking skills, Bidunga has shown significant development when it comes to defending without fouling.

As a freshman, he averaged 2.2 fouls per game while logging just 16.3 minutes per game. His minutes have nearly doubled to 31.3 as a sophomore, yet he's averaging just 2.1 fouls per game and has not fouled out all season.

Self expanded on what has gone into Bidunga's development in that regard.

"Guys are stubborn, and everybody thinks -– we all do, as humans –– we think that we know more about what we should be doing than what somebody else should be telling us to do," Self said. "Flory was a gambler, and now he doesn't lunge. He stays down. He plays to his length."

"And I think he's figured out that way is far better for him and us. When, before, you tell a guy, 'Hey, don't go for the steal, don't do this, just be sound.' In their mind, what they hear is, 'go for the steal.' They don't hear "don't," so he's doing a much better job of that."

Bidunga is especially important to Kansas' hopes of taking down No. 1 Arizona Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Allen Fieldhouse.

The 23-0 Wildcats have an imposing front line led by 6-foot-8 freshman Koa Peat (14.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 55.8 FG%), a potential lottery pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. But Bidunga and company will also have to worry about 7-foot-2 junior Motiejus Krivas (11 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 60.4 FG%) and 6-foot-8, 250-pound Tobe Awaka (9.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 59.1%).

In addition to their talented front court, Arizona's guards prefer to get to the basket rather than attempt 3-pointers. They're certainly capable of making outside shots, ranking 89th at 35.5% from 3-point range, but the Wildcats rank just 358th nationally with 16.5 3-point attempts per game.

So from his interior scoring to his shot-blocking and switching, Bidunga needs to be at his best yet again in order for the Jayhawks to hand Arizona its first loss of the season.

"He's doing a good job," Self said. "Of course, it needs to be front and center on Monday. But he's doing great."

Three Final Game Day Thoughts Entering No. 11 Kansas vs No. 1 Arizona

Kansas’ Darryn Peterson Has Perfect Bounce-Back Opportunity vs Arizona

ESPN Matchup Predictor Forecasts Kansas vs Arizona Basketball Matchup

How to Watch No. 11 Kansas vs No. 1 Arizona in Big 12 Showdown