(WISH) — The NBA Draft Combine takes place from May 10–17 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Among the 73 invited players, a select few share deep ties to the Hoosier State. Flory Bidunga, Ryan Conwell, Braden Smith, and Peter Suder will represent both their respective universities and their home state as they look to pave their way to the professional level. Flory Bidunga: Kokomo High School A native of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a graduate of Kokomo High School, Flory Bidunga is one of the four participants with Indiana ties in next week’s combine. Bidunga played three years of varsity basketball at Kokomo before committing to the University of Kansas to play under head coach Bill Self. Bidunga earned two-time Gatorade Indiana Player of the Year Awards in 2023 and 2024 at Kokomo. In his senior year at Kokomo, Bidunga averaged 19.0 points, 12.9 rebounds, and 4.4 blocks per game. The 6-foot-10-inch center averaged nearly five blocks per game in high school and led Kokomo to a state championship appearance in 2023. After winning the 2024 Indiana Mr. Basketball title, he played two seasons at Kansas before transferring to Louisville last month. Ryan Conwell: Pike High School Pike High School graduate Ryan Conwell wrapped up an impressive collegiate career with the Louisville Cardinals this past season. Before beginning his Division 1 career, Conwell averaged 22.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 3.0 steals per game in his senior season at Pike. In college, Conwell played for four schools over four years. He began his career at the University of South Florida, transferred to Indiana State as a sophomore, moved to Xavier University as a junior, and finally joined Louisville for his senior season. Conwell started 127 collegiate games and averaged 14.4 points per game over his career. In his lone season at Louisville, the 6-foot-4-inch guard averaged 18.8 points per game, helping the team reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. He finished his college career with a total of 1,991 points. Braden Smith: Westfield High School Braden Smith recently concluded a historic four-year career at Purdue University. The Westfield native and 2022 Indiana Mr. Basketball winner ended his time as a Boilermaker with 1,103 assists, the most in NCAA history. At Westfield, Smith set the school record for career assists (502) and steals (210). Smith’s resume includes being a two-time First-Team All-American, the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year, the 2026 Big Ten Tournament MVP, and several others. He was instrumental in leading Purdue to two Big Ten Tournament titles and an NCAA National Championship appearance in 2024. Peter Suder: Carmel High School Carmel native Peter Suder was a vital starter on two state championship teams for the Carmel Greyhounds in 2019 and 2021. Suder played his first two collegiate seasons at Bellarmine University before transferring to Miami (Ohio) for his junior and senior years. During his senior season, Suder was named the MAC Player of the Year after leading the Redhawks to a perfect 31–0 regular-season record and an NCAA Tournament victory over SMU. Having left their mark on Indiana, these four athletes are now transitioning toward careers in the NBA. ...read more read less