The Auburn basketball team is headed to the Final Four for the second time in six years, but the coaching staff is already looking ahead to next year's team.
With only two underclassmen on the roster, a large portion of the Tigers' team will need to be replaced for the 2025-26 season. Auburn basketball has already signed three high school athletes in forward Sebastian Williams-Adams, guard Kaden Magwood, and wing Simon Walker, and picked up commitments from former JUCO guard Abdul Bashir and former UCF guard Keyshawn Hall.
Still, the Tigers' coaching staff is not finished in the transfer portal. With Johni Broome on his way out, Auburn will need a new big man, and they are going after one of the most sought-after big men to hit the portal: Flory Bidunga.
The Tigers recruited Bidunga hard out of high school but ultimately finished second in his recruitment and he signed with Kansas. He was a 5-star prospect and ranked as the No. 4 center in the class of 2024. As a true freshman with the Jayhawks, he averaged 5.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks and shot at 69.8 percent from the field.
While there is still a possibility that Bidunga elects to stay at Kansas, Auburn Undercover reports that the Tigers are closing in on the center.
"There's still a chance Flory Bidunga will return to Kansas. The Jayhawks are currently in second on their recruiting list," Branham said, via the College Basketball Show. "The team in the lead and the team to beat is the Auburn Tigers. Bruce Pearl recruited him heavily out of high school and did a great job with them. Auburn finished second to Kansas in his recruitment. Pearl and the Tigers are making some early headway, but Kansas is not out of it yet."