Incoming Kansas big man Flory Bidunga fares well in McDonald’s scrimmage Sunday

Future University of Kansas men’s basketball center Flory Bidunda impressed a pair of national recruiting writers during a McDonald’s All-America game scrimmage Sunday in Houston.

The scrimmage and a Saturday practice took place ahead of the 47th annual high school all-star contest, which is set for 8 p.m. Central on Tuesday at Houston’s Toyota Center (home of the Houston Rockets). The game will be telecast live on ESPN.

Some of the 24 participants will compete in Monday night’s Powerade Jam Fest and 3-point shooting contest, set for a 6:30 p.m. start on ESPN2.

Bidunga, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound senior at Kokomo (Indiana) High School who recently was named Gatorade player of the year in the state of Indiana, averaged 19.0 points a game on 81.4% shooting for the (25-4) Wildkats.

He pulled down 12.9 rebounds a game while blocking 4.4 shots and dishing 3.2 assists per contest as a senior.

“Flory Bidunga isn’t going to light up opponents from long range, but the ways in which the 6-9 big man manages to impact games can be mind-blowing,” Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com wrote Sunday.

“Bidunga plays much larger than his listed size due to his (7-foot-4) wingspan and a brand of freak athleticism you simply don’t see in many prospects with his build. On Sunday, Bidunga ended up getting rebounds that seemed impossible when the ball hit the rim, as the 5-star’s instincts and athleticism allow him to grab boards even when an opponent has better position. The way he runs the court is also striking, as few centers are more dangerous in transition than the Congo-born Bidunga, whose two-way effectiveness should earn him big minutes as a freshman at Kansas next season,” Cassidy added.

According to the Indy Star, Bidunga in his three seasons at Kokomo High scored 1,609 points and grabbed 1,132 rebounds.

“Assuming Hunter Dickinson returns next season, there won’t be a team in the country with a more drastic difference in style than he and Bidunga,” Eric Bossi of 247sports.com wrote Sunday. “Bidunga is an elite mover who plays with a lot of effort and his quickness off the floor continues to be something that is tough for opponents to deal with. The amount of ground he can cover defensively was on full display and he looks like he’s getting more comfortable catching in the high post and attacking the rim,” Bossi added.

Bidunga is ranked No. 6 in the recruiting Class of 2024 by Rivals.com, No. 9 by ESPN.com and No. 11 by 247sports.com.

He verbally committed to KU on Aug. 12 and signed a letter-of-intent on Nov. 9, choosing the Jayhawks over Duke, Michigan and Auburn.

On3.com’s Jamie Shaw wrote this of Bidunga after Saturday’s first practice: “Five-star center Flory Bidunga (Kansas) is one of the most explosive players in the event and the loud nature of his game makes that obvious. He is active on the boards and the 6-foot-8 post tries to dunk everything around the rim.”

KU is still recruiting the one McDonald’s All-American who has yet to pick a school. Liam McNeeley, a 6-7 forward out of Montverde (Florida) Academy, is undecided at this time. McNeeley is ranked No. 11 in the recruiting Class of 2024 by ESPN.com, No. 13 by Rivals.com and No. 16 by 247sports.com.

He recently decommitted from Indiana.

“It was a quiet day (Sunday) for the lone available McDonald’s All American,” wrote Travis Branham of 247sports.com. “McNeeley was his typical self just playing the right way by moving the ball, coming off screens and getting open looks but the shots just weren’t falling. When he finally got his look at the rim off a cut, it got wiped off the board when his Montverde teammate, Cooper Flagg (Duke), came flying in and swatted it off the glass.”

On3.com’s Shaw wrote of McNeeley after the first practice: “He is a noted shooter and he lived up to his reputation, knocking down shots throughout. McNeeley has a good frame with great length. He was shot-ready and the ball went in at a high clip.”

Here are the rosters for Tuesday’s McDonald’s All-America game:

East team: Jalil Bethea, 6-4 guard, Miami (Florida); John Bol, 7-1 center, Overtime Elite Academy, Mississippi; Isaiah Evans, 6-7 forward, Duke; Cooper Flagg, 6-9 forward, Duke; Johnuel Fland, 6-2 guard, Kentucky; Ian Jackson, 6-4 forward, North Carolina; Liam McNeeley, 6-7 forward, undecided; Tahaad Pettiford, 5-10 guard, Auburn; Drake Powell, 6-5 guard, North Carolina; Jayden Quaintance, 6-9 forward, Kentucky; Derik Queen, 6-9 center, Maryland; Bryson Tucker, 6-7 forward, Indiana.

West team: Airious Bailey, 6-8 forward, Rutgers; Flory Bidunga, 6-9 center, Kansas; Carter Bryant, 6-8 forward, Arizona; Vazoumana Diallo, 6-3 guard, Washington; Valdez Edgecombe, 6-4 guard, Baylor; Donavan Freeman, 6-7 forward, Syracuse; Dylan Harper, 6-5 guard, Rutgers; Richard Johnson, 6-6 guard, Texas; Karter Knox, 6-6 guard, Kentucky; Trent Perry, 6-4 guard, USC; Derrion Reid, 6-7 forward, Alabama; Aiden Sherrell, 6-11 center, Alabama.