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Kansas basketball’s Flory Bidunga pulls off extremely rare feat in Arizona takedown
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- Kansas basketball’s Flory Bidunga pulls off extremely rare feat in Arizona takedown
Kansas basketball's Flory Bidunga pulls off extremely rare feat in Arizona takedown appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
Kansas basketball delivered one of its most impressive performances of the season Monday night, with Flory Bidunga at the center of it. In a marquee matchup between Kansas and Arizona, the sophomore produced a stat line that placed him in rare historical territory.
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With Kansas without its leading scorer, freshman sensation Darryn Peterson , the Jayhawks leaned heavily on interior production. Bidunga answered with authority, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocks in an 82–78 upset of the No. 1 Wildcats. His effort anchored a comeback that erased a double-digit deficit in the second half.
The performance immediately elevated Bidunga into elite company. According to ESPN Research, the combination of scoring, rebounding, and rim protection he displayed against the top-ranked team is nearly unprecedented in the modern era.
That context surfaced shortly after the final buzzer. ESPN's Jeff Borzello shared the historical significance of Bidunga's night at Allen Fieldhouse on X (formerly known as Twitter), highlighting how rare the performance was.
"Via ESPN Research: Flory Bidunga is the third player in the last 35 years to have 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks in a win over the AP No. 1 team."
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The moment underscored how critical the Jayhawks' big man was once Kansas lost Peterson to illness before tipoff. Arizona entered the game undefeated at 23-0 and widely viewed as the nation's most complete team, particularly in the paint. Bidunga flipped that narrative.
Kansas trailed by three at halftime and fell behind by as many as 11 points in the second half. Rather than settling for perimeter shots, the Jayhawks attacked through the post, repeatedly challenging Arizona at the rim and asserting control on the glass during the rally.
Melvin Council Jr. added 23 points and sealed the game at the free-throw line, but Bidunga's presence set the tone. His rebounding limited second chances, and his shot-blocking disrupted Arizona's interior rhythm throughout the closing stretch.
The result snapped the Wildcats' perfect season and immediately became Kansas' most significant win of the year. For Bidunga, the night marked a career-defining performance and secured his place in Kansas basketball history with one of the rarest stat lines college basketball sees.
