Louisville basketball just secured its first win as a team, defeating Raw Talent in the Bahamas 101-52 in an exhibition game. The Cardinals had quite a busy offseason, adding nine players, six from the Transfer Portal and three from the 2026 recruiting class.
The Cardinals are expected to be one of the top teams in the nation, ranking No. 13 in ESPN’s way-too-early rankings, and currently have the No. 9 highest odds to win the National Title this upcoming season. There are many newcomers this upcoming season that Louisville fans are extremely excited for, and one of them is proving why he has so much hype.
Flory Bidunga dominates in Louisville basketball debut
When looking at the Cardinals' additions this offseason, the Kansas transfer Flory Bidunga gets a lot of attention. The 5-star center ranked as high as No. 1 overall in the Transfer Portal, and while this was just an exhibition game, Bidunga just had a statement stat line.
The Kansas transfer dominated at the half, posting 10 points, six rebounds, six blocked shots, and three assists. The 5-star center went on to finish shooting 7-of-9 from the field, scoring 18 points, while also finishing with a double-double of 10 rebounds, six blocks, and four assists.
One area Louisville has desperately needed help in is the interior, and Bidunga quickly showed how dominant he can be. Yes, this is just an exhibition game, but Bidunga scoring 18 points on 78 percent shooting and adding a dominant six blocks just proves why he was the No. 1 player in the Transfer Portal.
The Cards have been missing a player who can take over in the paint, and while Bidunga has some things to work on offensively, his ability to take over on defense and block shots is huge for Louisville. The 5-star center has been getting a lot of criticism this offseason, but Bidunga just reminded everyone why he was a 5-star transfer.
Last year, Bidunga won the Defensive Player of the Year award after averaging 2.6 blocks per game and securing a dominant 91 blocks on the season. Louisville fans are hoping Bidunga can have a similar season next year and be the dominant presence in the paint they desperately needed, and this exhibition game has Louisville fans immediatley dreaming big for the upcoming season.
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