Darian DeVries, Indiana already dealt tough blow in Flory Bidunga portal pursuit

Last week, Kansas star forward Flory Bidunga announced his intention to enter the transfer portal while also exploring the NBA Draft process. Bidunga is among the top players available on the market, and is even ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the portal by 247Sports.

Bidunga has strong ties to Indiana, as he played high school basketball at Kokomo High School and still holds connections to the IU basketball program. When he announced his intention to enter the portal, those ties gave Hoosier fans a glimmer of hope that he would consider transferring to Indiana for the 2026-27 season.

However, those dreams have already taken a tough hit.

Prediction logged for Big 12 force to land Flory Bidunga in the portal

The college football transfer portal has been open for less than 24 hours, but Indiana appears to be firmly on the outside looking in when it comes to the Bidunga sweepstakes. Travis Branham of 247Sports notes that Bidunga's connections to Indiana are noteworthy, but reports that the Hoosiers are not expected to be in great shape with the 5-star transfer.

Furthermore, industry experts are already seeing a landing spot for Budinga. Earlier this week, 247Sports logged a prediction for Bidunga to end up at Texas Tech. It would be an interesting move for Bidunga, who spent the last two seasons playing for Big 12 rival Kansas.

The Red Raiders have become a force in the Big 12, and the program was in Big 12 contention again this season until First-Team All-American JT Toppin went down with a season-ending ACL injury in February. 

It's still possible that Budinga goes to the NBA, but if he returns to the college ranks, it seems that the 6'9" 220-pound talent won't be in Bloomington.

Looking ahead, Darian DeVries and his staff need to focus on improving Indiana's front court through the portal. Indiana was severely lacking at the 4 and 5 positions this past season, and finding players with size, strength, and athleticism on both ends of the floor is a top priority for DeVries as he enters his second season in Bloomington.